


Something in the Woods

by Vanya



Series: The Wendigo Chronicles [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, First Time, M/M, Monster Hunters, Monster mating, Monsters, Original Character(s), Original Story - Freeform, Rape/Non-con Elements, Violence, Wendigo, West Virginia, monster death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27970187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanya/pseuds/Vanya
Summary: Two country boys coming back from the city encounter a terrifying beast. After they manage to kill it and get back to what they think will be their normal lives, another one comes hunting them. It wants to replace what it lost and it plans to do that with one of them.
Relationships: Charlie Matthews/Oliver Graham
Series: The Wendigo Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048588
Comments: 26
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Author Warning; This work of fiction has mature, scary themes, violence and scenes of sexual assault. Discretion is advised.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is my version of this particular monster. I mean no disrespect to the culture in which it comes from and realize that it might not be described the same by other people. I have done as much research as I could possible get on this monster and tweaked it to my needs.

**_Prolouge_**

The winter chill didn’t usually reach West Virginia until mid-January. This year had been strange. Like something was moving into the ancient land that didn’t belong.

Charlie Matthews had grown up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. His family had been there as far back as they could find, meaning he was much like any other southern boy. Built tall, broad, farmer’s tan and freckles. He had played football in high school and now worked in a garage repairing cars. He liked working with his hands. He had never been the most articulate person, this was where he thrived. He was good at this. 

But Charlie wasn’t exactly like all the other southern boys either. 

Sure, every girl in high school had fawned over him, only to be severely disappointed when he came out as gay. 

No one back then had seen that secret part of him. 

No one except his childhood friend, now boyfriend, Oliver Graham. 

Oliver was nothing like other southern boys. 

He was smaller than most of the other boys, lanky, pale, artistic. Completely covered in tattoos. His father had done his first one for his fourteenth birthday and Oliver just continued his collection from there. Oliver’s parents came from New York, which was probably why he hadn’t settled into the stereotypical form of a southern boy. Jacob and Cameron had been lawyers in New York City until an ex-client started to terrorize their lives. The two men had fought hard to be married and were wanting a child of their own, they didn’t want their infant to deal with the mess of people who were unhappy with the judge’s ruling. 

The two found a small town, with a relatively quiet history and moved south. Here, with the savings they had from their previous jobs, they were able to pursue something new and wonderful professions. The two opened a tattoo parlour. 

Both families adored one another.

Charlie’s mother had sold Jacob and Cameron their home when they moved to Point Pleasant. They stayed close because their sons were close to the same age. When Charlie’s father died after a long battle with cancer, the two families only got closer. 

It was a memory that Charlie would never forget. Five years old, crying along in a dark corner, Oliver who was only four at the time came toddling over and sat with him, his little hand reaching for Charlie’s to hold. He patted it softly like Charlie was something fragile and told him; 

_“It’s okay, Charlie. You can share my daddies, I have two.”_

As odd as it may seem to other people, the words comforted him. They had been friends ever since. 

High School was over now. Oliver had gone off to Marshall University for a degree in art, meanwhile, Charlie had gotten a job in town at his uncle’s mechanic shop. 

It had been weeks since the boys had last seen one another after Charlie helped Oliver move into his dorm in August. 

Halloween was approaching fast, Charlie caught himself checking his phone more and more often. He just had this feeling that any day now, Oliver would be calling and asking Charlie to come get him because his car wouldn’t start. 

Today, that’s exactly what happened.


	2. "Come get me?"

**_Chapter I_ **

Charlie woke up freezing under his blanket. There was a buzzing coming from his nightstand. It was more persistent than a regular text like what he used to getting. When he rolled over and groped for his phone, he noticed that frost covered the windows of his bedroom. He’d have to turn the heat up a little bit more. 

He managed to clumsily swipe his finger across the screen and hit the speakerphone. “Hello?” 

_“Charlieeeeeeee!”_

Oliver’s whiny voice brought a smile to his face as he flopped back down into his pillow. “Let me guess, your car won’t start?”

_“I swear to God, you’re fucking psychic, it’s creepy.”_

“Meanie, maybe I should make you walk home.” Charlie grinned at the ceiling as Oliver feigned a sob on the other end of the phone. 

_“Rude! You’d just leave me out there to the critters!”_

“You’re being dramatic.” He rolled his eyes as Oliver let out an over-exaggerated sob.

_“Please come get meeeee!”_

The older boy laughed as he pulled himself up from the bed, groaning as he placed his feet on the cold floor. “Alright, alright, dry your eyes, you drama queen, I’ll come get you.” 

_“Yay!”_

“After work,” 

_“Boo!”_

Charlie laughed again, standing up and stretching his arms over his head, letting his back crack. “It’s just a half-day. Rich has to go up north to get a couple of stalled cars. That way you have time to clean up and go to class or whatever you have to do. We can go eat before we head back.” He wandered down the hall, stopping at the thermostat to turn up the heat before heading to the bathroom. 

Oliver let out a huffy noise, there was a thud on the other side of the phone. 

“Don’t kick your car,” 

_“It deserved it for dying on me. Think you can look at it and see what’s wrong?”_

“Yeah, does it turn over at all?” 

_“No, no lights, no clicks, radio won’t turn on or anything.”_

“Battery is probably dead. Sure you didn’t leave the lights on?”

_“I don’t think I did, I don’t really go anywhere.”_

“Well, don’t worry about it right now, I’ll look at it. I gotta get ready for work before ma starts screaming for me to get up.” 

Oliver laughed on the other side of the phone.

_“Alright, I’ll see you when you get here, I love you, babes,”_

“I love you too, bye Oli.” The phone clicked as Oliver hung up, Charlie placed his phone on the counter and shut the door as he unzipped his pants to use the bathroom. 

“Charlie! Are you up?!” His mother called from her room. She was running late, he could hear her running around like a chicken with her head cut off. It made him laugh a little. 

“I’m up, ma!” 

After getting ready and realizing that he was running late, he hurried down the stairs, kissing his mother’s cheek while stealing her toast. 

“Ach! The cheek of you!” She teased, smacking at his arm as he licked the toast so she couldn’t have it back.

“Gotta go get Oli later, his car’s dead.” 

“Wonder what he did to it this time.” She laughed watching Charlie yank on his boots and jacket. 

“God only knows, I’ll be home late.” He replied heading out the front door.

  
  
“Hey! Be careful! It’s suppose to snow!” She called after him from the kitchen window.

He waved her off as he clambered into his old, blue Chevy and started it. 

It was too early for snow.


	3. Making Enemies?

**_Chapter II_ **

It was an hour trip to Marshall, an hour was a long drive when you were by yourself. The radio in the truck didn’t work either, Charlie had to make do with his phone which wasn’t very loud over the road of the engine. By the time he parked behind Oliver’s piece of shit, silver Mitsubishi, he was exhausted. 

Charlie leaned against the seat and closed his eyes just for a moment before he grabbed his phone, turned off the music and texted his boyfriend. 

_ Message Sent to Oli _

_ Hey, I’m here.  _

A moment later the phone dinged in reply.

_ Message Received to Char _

_ Be right down! <3  _

He smiled softly at the message, laying his phone down on the seat, he pulled himself out of the car just when Oliver walked out the doors of his dorm with his duffle bag. “Hey, babe!” He called from across the lot, waving a gloved hand at him. 

“Hey you,” Charlie grinned as he took Oliver’s bag from him and tossed it on the floor of the truck. 

“Geez, you did come just from work, you couldn’t even wash your hands, huh?” Oliver teased, but Charlie only grinned and reached for his face. The older boy laughed as he screeched and tried to shove him away. “Get away with your dirty mitts!” 

“Why bother washing them when I was going to look at your car anyways? You still want me too, right?” 

Oliver groaned, smacking at the dirty hands again when Charlie tried to touch him again. “Ugh, yes please.” 

“That’s what I thought, so again, why am I bothering to wash them?”

Oliver opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then decided against it, shrugging his lean shoulders. “Point, okay, I’ll give you that. But after, you need to wash your damn hands, you grease monkey!” 

“Your words wound me, sir.” Charlie laughed before rolling his eyes affectionately at Oliver, he was definitely planning on grabbing his face and smearing him full of grease before they were done here.

Charlie went through everything that he could with what he had with him. He had brought a volt reader and a charger from the shop to check Oliver’s battery to see if it was dead and if so they could charge it. But when he looked at it, it had bulged liked it had frozen, which didn’t make sense since there had been no freezing weather just yet. Maybe the battery had been faulty. Oliver didn’t have the best luck when it came to his vehicle, something weird was always happening to it. Moving on, Charlie checked the oil, frowning when he pulled the dipstick up and there was nothing on it. “Forget to check the oil lately?”    
  
“What? No, I just did when I got to three thousand miles.” Oliver replied, moving over to look at the dipstick. 

“Well, you don’t have any oil in it.” Charlie bent over and looked under the car, there was definitely a puddle of something there. “Let me see your phone?” Oliver handed his phone over, the flashlight already on. Charlie slipped under the car, it was a tight fit but he was use to doing it. All the oil that should have been in the car, was on the ground in a puddle when he looked up at the tank, there was a hole like someone had shoved a screwdriver through it.

Scooting himself out from under the car, the older boy sighed. 

“Well?” Oliver asked, reaching for his phone. 

“You’ve got a hole in your oil tank.” 

“A hole in my what? Charlie, is this some bad attempt at flirting?”

“Oh, shut up,” Charlie grumbled, the smug look on Oliver’s face only made him turn redder under all the grime. “This is pretty serious, Oliver. Where have you been driving that you could have punctured your tank like that?” Charlie didn’t want to believe that it could have been someone on campus that knew Oliver was gay and decided to fuck with him. People who went to college were supposed to be more sophisticated, right? They were all supposed to be open-minded and understand. 

Right?

“Nowhere, I’ve barely been around the city, just to get food and go to the bank, I’m so busy school I don’t have time to do anything else.” 

“Oli, Mitsubishi is not an off-road vehicle,” 

“I’m not off-roading! I learned my lesson the first time.” Oliver huffed and crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his food before getting down on his knees, shooing him out of the way so he could look under it. “Show me where?” He asked as Charlie crawled under with him as well. “See there? That tank?”

“Yeah?” Oliver pulled off his glove, exposing his tattooed fingers. He brushed them over the hole and frowned a little bit. “It looks-- It looks like--” 

“Like someone shoved a screwdriver through it.” He frowned a little as he looked over at Oliver who had an intense look of worry on his face. “Come on, let’s get out from under the car.” Charlie patted Oliver’s leg and they both scooted out from under the car. “Do you think--” Charlie started, sighing a little as he leaned against the car, looking at Oliver. “Have you told anyone you’re gay?” 

Oliver shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “I haven’t really talked to anyone, made friends. I’ve been keeping to myself. No one should know. Unless they been spying on me or looking through my phone or something. I’ve been-- trying to keep a low profile.”

“Leave it to you to make enemies,” Charlie tried to grin at him, but Oliver only scowled at the ground, shoving his shoulder into him.

“It’s not funny,” He grumbled, looking very uneasy. 

The older boy sighed and reached his hand out to pull Oliver up from the ground. “Hey, relax okay, I’m sure it’s just someone being a dick and vandalizing. Or some drunks doing stupid things. Honestly, you need a new car anyway.”

Oliver exhaled and leaned into Charlie’s side, closing his eyes. “Take me home?”

He smiled and nodded, soothing his fingers over Oliver’s hair. “Alright, Taco Bell on the way?” 

“Mmmn, I like this plan.” 

  
Charlie grinned and swiped his dirty hand across Oliver’s face, making the younger man yowl. “Wash up first?”

  
“I’m going to kill you.”


	4. Shadow

**_Chapter III_ **

It was nice for the two of them to be together, it felt a lot like old times, like when they were in high school again. They had gone to Taco Bell, loaded up on a bunch of junk food and headed back home. It made Oliver forget about the mess that had happened with his car. The two had downed all of their junk food before they were even on the city limits. 

Oliver couldn’t remember when he closed his eyes. The music playing softly from his phone had lulled him to sleep as Oliver turned down the lower five-mile road towards Jim Hill road. 

West Virginia two North had been so congested with road work the despite the back road having little to no service, it was a better choice than the mess of a high way. They had driven the road a hundred times over. Hell, Charlie had taken the same road down.

And sometimes, it was nice to just ride in the truck in the middle of nowhere.

But white specks were starting to appear on the windshield. 

It was too early for snow.

Charlie felt the anxiety rise in his chest. Snow and dirt roads didn’t mix. Though so far, it wasn’t too bad, maybe they would beat the storm home. He reached over Oliver, grabbing the belt and pulling it over him.

“Hmm?” Oliver squirmed a little, lifting his head and looking around the cab. He took the belt from Charlie’s hand and pushed the buckle into place. “See a cop?” 

“No, it’s starting to snow.” He explained, pointing to the windshield. The flakes were starting to fall heavier now, whiting out the road. They weren’t going to beat the storm home as Charlie had wished. 

“Snow?” Oliver sat up a bit, rubbing his eyes. “Dude, that’s weird. It’s doesn’t usually snow until at least January.” The younger man sighed and adjusted himself in his seat, reaching down for his phone to see how much power it had left. 

When he looked back up at the road, a shadow seemed to move along the side of the road. Oliver tensed, turning to look around the window, trying to see if there was anything. If it was an animal or just the trees, playing tricks on him.    
  
“Did you see something?” Charlie asked, turning his eyes to the window just for a moment before they returned to the road. 

“It’s nothing, Char, probably a deer or something,” Oliver mumbled, reaching over and patting Charlie’s thigh. “Maybe just-- Slow down a little bit, okay?” 

Pressing down on the break, Charlie did just that. He watched Oliver settle back down into sat and close his eyes again. It brought a smile to his face as he turned his eyes back to the road. That was when the shadow passed in front of the truck this time, it just stood there, looming in the middle of the road. 

“Fuck--!” The truck swerved towards the treeline, Charlie gripped the steering wheel with white knuckle force. 

Oliver gasped in his seat next to him as Charlie tried to correct the truck, only to overdo it and send the truck flying off the road.

“Charlie!” 

The mental screeched as it scraped along the road, bouncing when it hit the ditch. It rolled several times before it crunched with impact into a tree. 

Darkness covered the boys. 


	5. Run

**_Chapter IV_ **

Oliver stirred in the darkness. There was nothing at first, then a little light, the sound of the truck’s horn blaring. “Oh, fuck,” He groaned as the pain started to settle into his body. Everything hurt from the top of his head to his toes. Turning his head to look around, Oliver realized that he was upside down in the vehicle. It was better than being tossed from the window though. He was glad that Charlie had had the instinct to buckle him in. 

But what had happened? What had Charlie seen that caused him to flip the truck?

“Damn, okay, Char? Charlie? Are you okay?” A groan from the other seat told him that if at least Charlie was alive, even if he wasn’t awake yet. The belt was so tight, it was hurting his chest. He knew he would have some nasty bruises when he got out of this. Oliver reached around his waist and tried to find the buckle to release himself. His fingers felt numb, tingling. They were starting to hurt now that the feeling was coming back to them. 

How long had they been upside down?

He managed to press his fingers to the button and release himself. The young man tumbled to the hood of the truck. It was covered in glass and debris, now he was too. Another string of curses came from him as he tried to brush the glass from his body. His hands were bleeding, he could feel it, even if he couldn’t see anything. 

Outside the windows, it was dark, but he could see snow falling in the dimming headlights of the dying vehicle. It was falling harder than when they were driving. It was colder too. 

“Charlie?” He turned around in the crumbled cab to gently pull his boyfriend’s head away from the horn. Finally, the noise stopped. Something else filled the air though. A howl that wasn’t from any animal he knew of. 

Because it wasn’t an animal. 

It was the wind. 

It sounded strange, like it should have been the wind on a winter night, whipping and wailing its way through the hollow like a banshee predicting death. There was more to it though. It almost sounded--

Well,  _ hungry _ . 

Like something that was starving, beyond starving. Something that was so hungry it was literally dying. 

And it was coming for them. 

Slowly, creeping in the darkness, hidden from sight within the snow, right there they couldn’t see it. All the hair on his arms and the back of his neck seemed to be feeling the same thing. They were standing up like when you felt eyes on you but no one was there.

Something was coming for them in the darkness. 

“Charlie, Charlie, wake up.” Oliver urged, patting the older boy’s face. He was trying to be gentle, he wasn’t sure how hurt Charlie was, but panic was making him uneasy. “Gah, fuckin’ hell, c’mon Char, wake up!” This time he smacked him, not as hard as he could rouse him from unconsciousness. Or at least that’s what he hoped for.

“What--” Charlie groaned, forcing his eyes open. He moved his arm just in time to stop Oliver from landing another blow. “What happened? Why am I upside down?” 

“Oh thank God,” Oliver let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “You crashed the truck, we gotta get out of here or we’re going to freeze.” He decided it was best to omit some of his feelings from Charlie. They were stranded on a back road, probably with no phones, and they were hurt. He didn’t need to know that Oliver was sure there was something dangerous lurking out in the snowstorm. Something that was hunting them. 

“I’m gonna try and get you down,” He announced, moving around to get to where the belt buckle was. “Are you hurt anywhere? Can you feel anything?” 

“My leg kind of hurts.”

Oliver nodded to him. “Hold onto the steering wheel as you come down, you won’t fall so hard that way.” 

Charlie did as Oliver told him, holding onto the steering wheel as he was unbuckled. The larger boy was able to ease himself down, pulling his feel out from the crushed metal. “Ow, ow, ow,” He winced as he came to settle in the debris below him. “Alright, we have to think, what are we close to, what do we have?”

“Uh,” Oliver moved around the truck as Charlie lifted his pant leg to try and see how badly his leg was injured. It was wet, hot and sticky, so he knew he was bleeding at least. 

“So, my bag is here, I think, yeah, here’s your phone.” He reached out to the faint light. The screen was smashed to smithereens, but at least they had a little bit of light now. “I don’t know where my phone is, I had it in my hand when we started to roll.” 

“Good enough for now. Try to get in the glove box. I’ve got the pistol in there along with some shells.” Charlie pointed to the box and Oliver nodded. He moved to the glove box and hit the button, it didn’t open though. The smaller man grumbled and placed the phone down, using his fist to smack at it until it opened for him. The gun, shells and a stack of papers came flying down into his lap. 

“Got it, I got it, Char,” He pulled his glove off with his teeth and shoved the clip into the bottom of the gun, making sure it clicked. He made sure the safety was on before handing it to Charlie. “So, is there anything out here? Anywhere we can go?”

“I think the church is close, we could probably walk there before we get too cold. Pastor Taylor keeps a key over the top of the door, we could get inside and call someone to come get us.” 

Oliver nodded, opening his mouth to agree when the wind howled. But it wasn’t the wind. It was the thing that he had been fearing. That he was sensing. 

“Wh--What was that?” Charlie asked, his eyes going wide at the noise. 

“I um-- I don’t think-- I don’t really know. But I think we need to get out of here as soon as we can.” Oliver tossed the bag out the broken window and crawled over his boyfriend and out the into the snow. “Come on Char, watch your head.” He held out his hand and helped Charlie out of the car, using the phone for what little light it gave. 

Charlie reached back in, grabbing the gun and reaching around until he found a flashlight. When he was able to stand, he looked over his leg, around his ankle there was some blood, but that was about all. It didn’t feel broken or swollen. 

“You okay to walk?” Oliver asked as Charlie nodded. 

The wind howled again, thick branches in the tree line were snapping like twigs. They were so loud it sounded like a gun going off. Shadows moved around them, the howling grew louder and hungrier. 

“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” Charlie mumbled, picking up Oliver’s bag and throwing it over his chest to carry it. 

“Charlie--” Oliver grabbed his boyfriend by the shoulder of his coat and pointed in the direction that the howling was coming from. 

In the white-out stood a dark figure, tall and gangly. It was close enough that Oliver could make out what looked like a deer skull, tall broad antlers. Its arms were long, skeletal with claws that looked like they were made for shredding. Even though it looked like it was skin and bones, it was large enough that when it took a step, the boys could hear the hooves thud against the ground. 

Yellow glowing eyes stared at them from what should have been empty sockets. 

“Run,” Oliver whispered though neither boy moved, they could only stare at the beast in front of them. The younger boy pulled his gaze away and shoved Charlie, “Run! We need to run!” Oliver grabbed Charlie’s hand and the two of them ran blindly down the road. 

The beast howled behind them, the hooved matched the thudding of Oliver’s heart that had seemed to move from his chest to his ears. He didn’t dare turn around to see if it was chasing them, he knew it was. 

“Charlie, keep running! Don’t look back, we have to get the keys!” Oliver shouted over the noise as he kept pulling Charlie along. He could see the little white church in the foreground. They were almost there. They were almost there!

The two of them ran up the stairs to the door. Charlie threw the bag down onto the porch and reached up to grab the key. Oliver took the moment to look behind them, to see where the beast was. 

It moved in erratic, jerky movements as it ran.

“Grab it, Char! It’s coming! Hurry up!” Oliver’s voice sounded shrill on the wind, he reached down and grabbed the bag, pressing his back against the door. “Charlie!” 

“I got it!” The older boy grabbed the key and pressed it into the lock, trying to get the frozen lock to click.

“Charlie!” 

“I’m trying!” The lock clicked and the two of them went tumbling inside.

Oliver stood quickly and slammed the door shut, leaning against it as he tried to catch his breath, desperate to stop his hyperventilating, though his shaking would not ease. He leaned up, on his tiptoes to look out the little window. 

The skeletal creature stood on the edge of the church’s sanctified land, staring at them. 

_ “Oliver,”  _

He could have sworn he heard his father’s voice as he stared at the creature. 

_ “Olllliivvveeerrr,”  _

Oliver gasped and turned around, staring at Charlie as he dropped to the floor. 

“What was that thing?” Charlie asked in a shaking voice, the flashlight beam pointed at his boyfriend who looked whiter than the snow outside. The younger boy could only shake his head. 

“I don’t know.” 

All he knew now, was that they were trapped. 


	6. Monsters are Real

**_Chapter V_ **

The two of them sat in silence for a long time. Or at least what felt like a long time. It was taking a long time for both of them to calm down from what had just happened. Somewhere within the church, Oliver could hear a clock ticking away the minutes. 

“Oliver,” Charlie reached out and touched his thigh and it took everything in Oliver’s power not to leap out of his skin. They had both been trying to calm down, Oliver was concentrating on the ticks of the clock that was somewhere in the building, but it didn’t seem to be enough to calm him. “We need to make a game plan, Oli.” 

Oliver nodded to him, sighing a little bit as he wrapped his arms around himself. “Right, game plan. Plan. Um, first thing first, we should probably find a first aid kit and some blankets, figure out where we’re going to sleep that um… that we’ll keep us out of the line of sight. Sound right?” 

Charlie nodded in agreement, slowly pulling himself up and holding out a hand to help his boyfriend up as well. “Good plan, let’s start in the pastor’s office, should be a kit there, or in the bathroom. I’ll look in the storage closet for some blankets.” 

“Nursery might have some too,” He replied, keeping his hand holding tight to Charlie’s as they walked up the stairs. He wasn’t ready to be alone yet. 

Oliver flipped on lights in the long hall, heading past the sanctuary towards the two Sunday school rooms, along with the pastor’s office and bathroom. It was only when he got to that room, he let go of Charlie’s hand. Thankfully, the door to the office was unlocked so they didn’t have to break in. Oliver flipped on the light and looked around, peeking in cabinets until he found the first aid kit. “Aha!” He grinned as he reached up on his tiptoes to pull the kit down from the top shelf. “Char! I found it!” 

He placed the kit on the desk and opened the bathroom door, flipping on the light again. Oliver felt better with all lights on; like nothing was going to be able to jump out at him. The younger man stared at the covered window for a long moment as he waited for the water to heat up, he inched closer and pulled the shade down a little, just to peek out into the blizzard. 

There, pacing at the edge of the property like a carnivorous cat, Oliver watched the beast walk back and forth, huffing and puffing in frustration. 

“Oliver?” 

Oliver screamed and leapt back from the window, turning to look at Charlie who stood there with blankets and pillows. “Jesus Christ in a taxi cab, Charlie! You almost gave me a heart attack!” 

“Sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He placed the blankets and pillows down on the chair, wandering in to look out the same window. “It’s still out there, huh?” 

Oliver nodded, placing a hand on his chest, a failed attempt to slow his racing heart. “Yeah, I don’t think it can come up to the building, see how it’s pacing at the property line?” He moved to peek out the window as well, watching the beast pace.

“What do you think it is? I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“I have no idea, hopefully, we can get on the computer and find out a little bit more information.” Oliver sighed and pulled away from the window. He grabbed a glass and a roll of toilet paper. “Come sit down, let me look at your head and leg. Clean you up a little.” 

Charlie came away from the window and followed Oliver back into the office. He sat in one of the chairs while Oliver dabbed at his forehead to clean away the blood. “Does your phone work at all?”

The older boy shook his head, wincing a little. “No, screen is busted to hell and I think it’s dead. There were no bars out this far anyway. Do you have your phone?”

Oliver shook his head. “I had it in my hand when we crashed, remember?” 

“Right, couldn’t find it.” Charlie sighed, reaching down to pull up his pant leg so Oliver could wash the blood away and inspect it. “Maybe-- Maybe it’s just person in a suit fucking with us. Someone had messed with your car too. Who knows, right?” 

“I don’t think it’s a person, Char,” Oliver mumbled. Charlie was always looking for the logical answer, despite what they had seen. What Charlie had been. 

Werewolves. 

The Mothman. 

This creature left a distinct feeling of evil and dread in the air. 

How could he even describe it?

The way the snow seemed to follow it. Like it could command the very elements to hide within the storm. 

And the howls. 

They sounded like the very wind itself, but it wasn’t. It was more than just the wind. 

“It said my name, Char.” 

“It what?” The older boy’s eyes had gone wide at the words. His eyebrows furrowed as he reached down to take Oliver’s hand. “What do you mean? Are you sure?” 

“Very sure,” Oliver grumbled, looking up at him. “It said my and it-- It sounded like my dad. I had this-- This weird urge to. Something came over me like I was supposed to obey it. Like I was supposed to go out into the snow and let it take me. I’ve never felt anything like it-- it was like--” 

“Thrall,” Charlie answered and Oliver nodded. “I remember the feeling from the incident with Mrs. Neeman. I don’t know how she did it, but I know the feeling you’re talking about. It almost hurts to disobey.” 

Once again, Oliver nodded, this time tears were coming to his eyes. “Charlie, I’m so fucking scared. What does it want? Why is it calling me?! I’m so scared!” Hysteria had caught him once again. 

Charlie wrapped his arms around Oliver’s smaller frame and pulled him close to his chest. “Shh, hey, I’ve got you. You’re safe in here. We’re safe. It’s not going to get us and I’m not going to let you go to it. Okay?” He whispered, soothing his boyfriend’s dark hair. “Let’s try the phone, see if we can get ahold of your dads? Okay? Then we’ll go on the computer and try to Google what that  _ thing _ is.” 

Oliver scrubbed his palms over his face and eyes, sniffling softly as he did his best to stifle himself. “Right, okay, calling.” He moved to stand up, picking up the phone on the desk. He was relieved to hear the dial tone on the other end as he dialled his father’s number. He listened to it ring over and over against until it finally clicked. 

“Dad?!” 

_ “Hey, this is Cameron Graham!  _

_ I can’t get to my phone right now,  _

_ but if you leave your name and number,  _

_ I’ll call you back!  _

_ Thanks!” _

Oliver groaned and looked at Charlie. “Voicemail,” He mumbled before leaving his father a message. “Hey dad, it’s me. Char and I-- Well, something ran out in the road and we had an accident. We’re okay, though.” 

He paused, trying to calculate his words. 

How could he explain all this?

“There’s um, there’s some kind of animal after us. We’re at the old church on Jim Hill Road. It’s snowing here, I don’t know if it is at home or not. I lost my phone, Charlie’s is busted. I don’t know this land line’s number. If you could just-- please come get us. Please?” Oliver swallowed hard before mumbling a goodbye into the phone and hanging up the receiver. “Let’s find this fucking thing.” 

The older boy nodded and moved to stand, turning on the computer. It whirled to life, screen blinking and fan buzzing as it did. He looked around the papers until he found the login information to get on. After typing it in, he moved out of the way and let Oliver sit in the chair to start typing.

**_Search: Antlered monster_ **


	7. Wrong Place, Wrong Time?

**_Chapter VI_ **

**_Search: Antlered Monster_ **

**_About 2,230,000 results (0.52 seconds)_ **

“Well, that looks promising at least,” Charlie mumbled softly, looking over the results. 

**_Wendigos_ **

**_Leshy_ **

**_Category: Horned | Cryptid Wiki_ **

Pictures popped up with the search, Oliver pointed to one that looked just like the monster that had chased them down the road and into the safety of the church. “That one, I think,” Oliver replied as Charlie grabbed a chair and pulled it close. Oliver moved over and let him be in charge of the computer search. 

Charlie clicked on the photo that Oliver pointed to, then a link. He scrolled through until he found the matching photo. 

“Okay, so, Wendigo, this monster comes from the Algonquin folklore of Canada and the Northern US. The Wendigo is a tall, skinny beast with large eyes and a deer skull that eats people. It is said to be forever hungry. This spirit of the Wendigo is said to possess and drive people to cannibalism. Some say the creature was once human, became possessed and eventually after feeding, turned into the monster. If a human were to partake in cannibalism, it would invite the creature to possess them.” Charlie read the article off, scrolling down a little further. “Wendigo psychosis is a term used when a person gets the uncontrollable urge to consume human flesh. This is a very real and serious mental illness.” Charlie made a face, when he looked at Oliver, he seemed to be making the same one. 

Oliver could feel himself shaking as Charlie read off the article about the monster outside. 

This was the thing that chased them, that was stalking them right now. 

That had been calling to him. 

It was a spirit and monster. Something that could possess and control. 

Truly terrifying. 

Charlie typed in  _ Wendigo  _ and got the same results. 

“Type in ‘powers’, ‘wendigo powers’, I wanna know what this thing is capable of,” Oliver mumbled as he tried to focus on the screen. He wrapped his arms around his waist and scooted a little farther from the screen, if he could back away from it, he would feel better. 

Safer. 

The older boy nodded to him, doing as he was told. “Enhanced strength and speed. It can imitate human voices and lure it’s victims to it, which it traps and keeps alive for long periods of time to feed on. Claws, enhanced senses, immortal for the most part.” He scrolled down the page, eyes skimming the web pages. “Can be kept at bay with Anasazi symbols and injured by silver-tipped arrows or knives. Fire is the only way to really get it down. It has to be dismembered first, then burned and buried away from the other parts or it can revive.” 

“Fucking hell, how would we even get close enough to set it on fire, let alone dismember it?” 

Charlie shook his head. The wind howled through the hollow, they would hear the snow whipping against the building and windows. He wondered if the creature could take its frustration out on the weather. “I wonder what it’s doing out there.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, all the articles said it’s from Canada and the Northern midwest. It’s Ojibwe folklore. Places that suffer from harsh winters, where starvation used to be a very real thing. Our winters don’t really get like that. Not to that extreme, I mean. We never get snow in October.” 

Oliver thought it over for a moment and nodded. “You’re right, so-- What’s it doing here?” 

Charlie shrugged his shoulders as Oliver got up from his chair and went to the window and pulled down the shade to peek outside again. 

Why was it here?

What did it want?

Why was it chasing them?

Was it really just a case of wrong time, wrong place or was there more to it?

The creature howled. 

It wasn’t just the wind like before, it had the same sound as before when they were still out in the car. The desperate, hungry sound that came with it. He didn’t know how, but he could tell the difference between the wailing and the wind. 

It was out there. 

Somewhere close by. 

Watching them. 

Waiting.

“I don’t wanna hear anymore about it right now,” Oliver mumbled softly, his eyes locked on the snow beyond the window. All he saw was white. No shadows moving at the edge of the property like before. 

Only white. 

But he knew it was out there. 

It was the same feeling you get when someone is watching you. All the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you get an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach?

That was the feeling Oliver had as he stared out into the blizzard. 

The snow was coming down so hard now that it was genuine whiteout conditions. Oliver silently hoped against hope that the power stayed on. 

West Virginia was not known for its glorious power companies. Especially out in the middle of nowhere. More times than not, the power would just randomly drop. 

No explanation, other than  _ we’re working on it.  _

No time frame to when it would be back on. 

It was endlessly frustrating to so many families that lived out here in the hollows and hills. 

Charlie closed everything down on the computer and shut it down. He pulled himself up from the chair and wrapped his arms around Oliver’s waist, gently tugging him from the window. “Hey, we’ll be okay Oli. We can shove the bookcases over the windows if it makes you feel better. There’s a sofa, we can sleep here. It can’t get us on the second floor. We can even lock the door just to make sure.” 

_ God, I hope it can’t get us up here. _

Oliver couldn’t help the grim thoughts that seemed to take over his brain. He had to calm down or something worse would happen. “Okay, okay, we um, did you check to see if the kitchen had any food?” 

Charlie nodded, “Yeah, I stopped when I got the blankets from the nursery. There’s some bread and stuff to make sandwiches, juice, there’s a box down there with canned goods we can always heat up if we need to.” 

“Good enough for now, hopefully, we don’t be here too long.” Oliver sighed a little as he pulled away from Charlie and grabbed the blankets and pillows from the chair. 

The younger man made up the couch so it would be comfortable while Charlie pushed the bookcase in front of the window in the office, then the linen cabinet in the bathroom over that window. 

It made Oliver a little more at ease. 

While he was shuffling things around, he noticed a little television on a wheeled cart. When he turned it on, there was nothing but static. He should have known. 

The nasty storm outside along with the weak signal from the antenna, they weren’t going to be able to get anything. It had a VCR though; if they got desperate and needed noise or a distraction, there were old Veggie Tale tapes they could pop in. 

Charlie wandered downstairs alone, returning just a few minutes later with some fruit snacks, candy and juice boxes for them. 

As he promised, he locked the door to the office before settling down on the couch. 

They wrapped up in a couple of blankets, curled tightly together. 

“Are you still scared?” Charlie asked.

Oliver nodded. “Are you?” 

The older boy nodded as well. “A little. It’ll be okay, your dads will get the message, and they'll come get us. We’re safe for now.” 

The wind howled outside.

Oliver couldn’t help his eyes moving to the covered window.

“What if it’s still here when they get here?” 

Charlie bit his lip, wrapping his arm around the smaller boy and pulling him flush to his chest. “Try not to think about it. We’re safe. Things will be okay.”

It felt like a lie. 

But it was a lie he wanted to believe. 


	8. Lights Out

**_Chapter VII_ **

The storm seemed to get worse the longer the night went on. 

Oliver had had a hard time sleeping ever since his first encounter with something supernatural. The Mothman had left him shaken, literally. A tremor had started in his hands ever since it flew at him in the bunker. Most nights, even with Charlie next to him, he laid awake staring at the walls until sleep finally took him. He would drift in and out of consciousness waking when the thing outside would call his name in a stolen voice. 

_ Oliver. _

_ Come. _

_ Come to us.  _

_ Oliver. _

_ Come outside. _

Could Charlie hear it?

It didn’t seem like it when he looked up at him. His eyes were closed and he was snoring softly against the pink pillowcase. 

The words left an urge in him. Like an itch under your skin that you just couldn’t scratch. He wanted to do as the beast beckoned him to do. To walk out into the snow, right into its clutches. 

It was insatiable. 

His fingers and toes twitched with every horrid syllable. 

Oliver wrapped his pillow around his head and begged for the sun to rise.

Would that make a difference?

He could only hope that it did. That when the sun came up, it would keep the beast at bay.

He tried again to close his eyes, pillow still around his ears as he let exhaustion take him and lull him to an uneasy sleep. 

He woke when the sun rose.

Or when it should have been making its way on the horizon. The wind was still howling, which meant that the snow was probably still blowing. 

Oliver shifted on the couch, dropping his pillow to the floor as he moved. Everything fucking  _ hurt.  _ Memories of the day came flooding back to him. The hole in his oil tank, the shadow on the side of the road, the truck rolling, the creature chasing them. 

“Charlie,” The younger man reached out and gently shook his boyfriend. “Char?”

“What?” He grumbled, voice thick with sleep. 

“First-aid kit had pain killers in it, right?” Oliver asked, leaning over his knees and cupping his head. “I feel like I can hardly move. All my adrenaline is worn off.” 

Charlie didn’t stir and his eyes didn’t open. He was so exhausted and sore himself that he didn’t want to move either. “I think so, we left it by the computer.” 

Letting out a groan of dismay, Oliver pulled himself up from the couch. He didn’t even get all the way upright before he had to sit back down. It hurt so much more to stand. He wanted to just lay on the floor and never move again. He tried again though, pushing himself all the way upright, this time he stayed there. But he had to stay still for a moment before his feet and legs decided if the pain was too much or if they could walk the three steps to the computer.

Swallowing the pain down, Oliver forced himself to move. Just three steps, he could do it. 

One step.

Two.

Three.

He leaned against the desk and sighed, opening the first aid kit and flipping through until he found a bottle of knock-off ibuprofen. 

Good enough. 

He wrestled with the bottle until it opened and tossed five into his hand. He wasn’t worried about overdosing at the moment. He just wanted the pain to ease. The younger boy shuffled his way back to the couch, grabbing a juice box from the floor and swallowed down the pills and liquid. 

“Can I have a few too?” Charlie mumbled and Oliver nodded, knocking five more into his hands and dropping them into Charlie’s. He handed over his juice and leaned back against the couch. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever hurt so bad in my life,” Oliver muttered.

“Me either,” Charlie agreed. “Is it still snowing?”

“I think so, I haven’t looked out yet, but the wind sounds like it’s still blowing out there.” He turned his eyes to the covered windows, something deep in him wanted to move the cases and look outside to see if the beast was gone or if it had gotten closer in the night. “I’m going to try and call my dads again.” 

“Good plan,” The older boy lowered himself back down to the couch, slowly turning on his side as he did. “Kinda seems like we’re stuck here until it gives up.” 

Oliver bit down on his lip, turning his eyes back to Charlie. “What if it doesn’t give up?” 

“I don’t know--” Charlie watched Oliver for a moment as his eyes went back to the window. 

“This isn’t like before, you know. This isn’t us running from the Mothman, or killing the werewolf. This is something dangerous and powerful, it wants us. It wants me. All night it called my name. I almost did as it told me to.” He sighed, wrapping his arms around himself. “I’m so fucking terrified. It’s going to get me.” 

“Hey!” Charlie snapped, reaching out and grabbing Oliver’s sleeve, giving him a little shake. “It’s not going to get you, I won’t let it fucking get you. You hear me? You’re safe here, I’m going to make sure of it, and if I have to kill it myself to get us the fuck out of here, I will.” 

Oliver stared at Charlie, his doe brown eyes wide as he listened, nodding just a little. 

Charlie frowned as he released his shirt, soothing his hand over his arm. “I’m sorry. But, it’s going to be okay. Okay? Trust me.” 

The younger man nodded, leaning over and pressing his forehead to his boyfriend’s. “Okay. You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Charlie kissed Oliver softly and nudged him. “Go, try your dads.” 

“Right,” He mumbled, pulling himself up from the couch again and walking back to the table. He plopped himself in the chair and reached for the phone, dialling his dad’s number again, only to get the same message as before. “Fuck,” Frustrated, he tried his papa’s number instead. 

Another message.

_ “Can’t answer, leave a message.”  _

Short and sweet. 

Oliver’s papa was Jacob. He was a man of very few words. Strong, stoic and solemn. Jacob was also Oliver’s biological father. It had been Cameron’s way of helping him, to make sure he could bond with their son. 

It had worked. 

Cameron was someone that Oliver found more like a friend than a parent. Someone he could talk to about anything and everything if he needed an open ear. Jacob on the other hand was someone Oliver found himself going to when there were no words. When he needed to be held, coddled and protected. 

Right now, he needed someone to answer. 

Oliver tried Charlie’s mother as well, another message.

“Fuckin’ hell, no one’s answering.” Oliver groaned, slamming the receiver down.

“Maybe the towers are down?”

“All they have are cell phones--” Oliver paused, staring at the phone for a moment before reaching for it again, quickly dialling another number. 

“What? Who are you calling?” 

“Dads’ shop. It’s got a landline, they could be there.” Oliver replied as he waited, listening to the phone ring and ring. “Oh, please, please be there, answer,” 

_ “Hello?! Hello?” _

Oliver let out a sigh of relief. “Dad! Thank god, I’m so glad you answered!” 

_ “Oliver! I was so worried, we’ve been trying to call, why didn’t you answer?! Did you get home in the storm okay?”  _

“We didn’t get home-- is it snowing in town too?”

_ “Yes, cells don’t work, roads are completely blocked, power is out in most of the town. We got stuck at the sho-- wait, wait-- What do you mean you didn’t get home?! Where are you?”  _

“Dad, listen, don’t panic okay, but we were in an accident. Something ran out in the road and we rolled the truck. We’re pretty much okay, and we were able to heft it to the Church on Jim Hill road.” 

_ “Devil’s Lane? Why would you take-- a-are you okay? Is Charlie okay?!”  _

He could hear the panic in Cameron’s voice and it made this little wedge of guilt build up in his chest. He wished he could reassure him that everything was okay, that they would get home just fine. But things were far from okay. 

“We’re okay, but we’re stuck out here. Do you-- Do you think you can come get up?” 

_ “Oli-- we can try but as of right now, we’re snowed in too. Do you think you guys can stick it out there for a day or two until the plows can open some of the roads?”  _

His heart sank at the words, he didn’t want to stay out here longer than they needed too. 

_ “Are you sure you’re not hurt? We could call an ambulance? Maybe they could come get you--”  _

“No, no, if you can’t get out here, there’s no way they’d be able to either. We’re okay. Sore, but okay. Nothing broken.” He frowned a little as he leaned against the table. “I think we can stay put for a day or two, but-- Dad, we’re-- there’s something out there. So if-- If you could try and come soon--”

_ “What--? What do you mean? Like an animal?” _

“I don’t know, we’re hearing weird sounds. Scary sounds.” 

_ “Scary sounds?” _

“Yeah, you’re-- you’re probably not going to believe this but we looked it up the best we could and we think it’s a Wend---” 

The phone screeched in Oliver’s ear, just as he was going to say the creature’s name. He pulled the receiver away from his ear and stared at the phone. 

Behind him, Charlie perked up as well. “What happened?”

Oliver said nothing as the phone squealed. 

Then, the line went dead. 

The lights went out.

A hungry cry came from outside. 

The power was out and the beast was moving in. 


	9. Too Close for Comfort

**_Chapter VIII_ **

Everything in Oliver wanted to scream when the lights went out. It felt like all the protection they had once had was gone with the power. 

The monster in the shadows was moving in, leaving its trademark on the wind.

Did this place have a stove? Could they get wood for it if there wasn’t any inside? Could there have been a generator? Did it have fuel? A thousand questions ran through his head, the biggest one being--

Was the holy ground keeping the beast at bay? 

Or was it just toying with them.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck--!” Oliver’s breathing was becoming erratic. His hands moved up to his hair and tugged at it, trying in vain to ground himself. But his hyperventilating continued. 

“Oli, Oli, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Charlie pulled himself up from the couch, wrapping his arms around his small form and pulling him close. “Shhh, shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you. Listen, listen to me, there’s a genny downstairs, I just have to get it started. I saw it when I turned the heat on.” Charlie replied, digging through the drawers of the desk until he found a flashlight. “Stay here, I’ll get it going and we’ll be okay.” 

“No, please!” Oliver was panicked as he grabbed at Charlie’s arm a little harder then he meant to. “Please, let me come with, I don’t want to be alone, I can’t be alone.” 

_ It’s calling me.  _

_ Can’t you hear it? _

**_OLIVER._ **

**_COME TO US._ **

**_COME._ **

A shudder ran up his spring as he clutched to Charlie’s sleeve. “Please--” 

Charlie sighed a little and moved to wrap his arm around his shoulder, pushing the button on the flashlight. He unlocked the door and together, they both moved down the hall towards the stairs and basement. 

Back, behind the kitchen, was another classroom and the utility room. Both rooms had large windows facing west. Charlie went inside, Oliver stood in the doorway of the room. Behind him, was the classroom, to the right, a door that led outside. The windows made him nervous though. He didn’t want to go all the way into the room. 

“Ol, I need you to hold the flashlight,” Charlie asked, holding it out to Oliver in the doorway. 

He stood there for a long moment, staring at the flashlight. 

“The longer you stand there, the longer the lights stay off.” Charlie knew the words were harsh, but it was true, sometimes harsh was the only thing that got Oliver to move. 

The words worked just as he wanted and Oliver stepped cautiously forward. He took the flashlight and pointed it at the machine. 

“Are you sure you know how to start this thing, it looks-- complicated?” 

“It’s not, primer, here,” He showed Oliver the little button looking thing that he pressed three times, “Then pull the cord.” But when Charlie grabbed the cord and yanked it back towards his shoulder, nothing happened. “Shit--” 

“Char-- Hurry,” 

“Okay, okay, just-- just hang on.” Charlie moved, opening the gas cap and looking inside. Oliver moved a little close and shined the light in it. He could see a red liquid. 

“That doesn’t look like gas.” 

“It’s kerosene,” Charlie corrected. “This was probably put in thirty years ago or more. Only been used a handful of times, I’m sure. Just needs a little convincing.” 

Oliver groaned as he watched Charlie cap the lid, go back and repeat the strange ritual, priming the machine and yanking the cord. This time it sputtered, but then nothing. 

The flashlight dropped with a thud, Oliver was backing up and making a strange noise like he wanted to scream. 

“Oliver? What the hell?” Charlie looked over at him, then to the window when Oliver pointed with a tattooed finger. He cried out and backed away from the generator, pressing an arm over Oliver, moving them both back to the wall farthest from the window. 

The beast stood there, face pressed close to the window. Hot breath hitting cool air left visible puffs in the air, the window was beginning to fog up slightly. It was horrific to see it so close. 

It was the first time they were seeing it close up.

Large antlers came up from the deer skull that was the creature's head. It had no flesh there, only bleached, clean bone. Yellow eyes sat in the sunken hollows, they were ugly, staring straight at them. Its mouth hung open, sharp rows of teeth filled it, along with a long wet tongue that lolled out like a panting dog. The rest of its body was lanky, hunched over and decomposed. It looked like something dead and rotting, but here it was moving, walking, staring. The long legs and arms seemed to be bent at strange angles, the gangly arms had nasty looking, sharp claws. 

They were so long, they almost dragged along the snow.

This was a thing of nightmares.

The two of them could only stare at the beast, it’s yellow eyes stared right back, pulling them into its trap. 

_ Oliver. Come. Belong with us.  _

The Wendigo’s mouth didn’t move as it spoke, but Oliver could hear it. It wasn’t using his father’s stolen voice any longer, it was it’s own. The true voice that matched the horrific howl. 

It seemed to be high and low pitched at the same time, two-toned, like multiple people talking at once. Guttural. 

It lured Oliver in, like a moth to the flame. 

The younger boy stepped out of his boyfriend’s protected stance towards the window. He didn’t even realize his body was moving until Charlie grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. 

“Don’t--” He whispered, stared at the beast, it stared back.

This time it spoke to Charlie as well. 

**_“YOU. CAN NOT. KEEP HIM. FROM US. WE WILL-- HAVE HIM.”_ **

Charlie furrowed his brows and reached for the cord of the generator again. “Like hell, you will,” He snarled back, yanking it hard towards his chest. The machine roared to life and the lights flickered back on.

The beast tossed its head back and howled in frustration as Charlie yanked Oliver out of the room. 

Both of them ran up the stairs, back to the protection of the office where they could stay hidden from the monster. 

Charlie was shaking as he shut and locked the door. 

Oliver pressed his back to an empty corner and sunk to the floor. He wrapped his arms around his knees, pulling them tightly to his chest. 

“Oli? Oliver, are you okay?” Charlie turned, kneeling and holding his face in his hands. 

All the younger boy could do was shake his head no. He reached out and gripped Charlie’s arms and squeezed his eyes shut as he shook. Oliver couldn’t say anything yet, he was so scared. 

Seeing it so close like that. Hearing it. 

And worst of all--

Almost going to it. 

If Charlie wouldn’t have stopped him, he would have walked right up to it. 

Why him?

Why did it want him?

“Charlie, what does it want?” 

Charlie swallowed hard and stared at Oliver. “You, but I don’t know why. But I know it’s determined, it’s going to put up a fight. Like hell, if I’m going to let it fucking get you. Remember, I promised.” 

A tiny smile came to Oliver’s face. Charlie had been true to his promise. “You didn’t let it get me,” He wanted those words to make him feel better. They were supposed to make him feel better. 

“I’ll never let it get you, I’ll kill the fucking thing myself before I  _ ever  _ let that happen.” 

Oliver sighed, shifting from his fetal position to wrap his arms around Charlie’s neck, hugging him tightly. “I love you, I love you so much. Please, I’m so scared. Please, don’t let it get me.” 

Charlie returned the embrace, pulling his smaller boyfriend into his lap and gently rocking him. “I won’t,” He whispered, kissing Oliver’s soft dark curls. “B-But-- it’s only a matter of time until the generator runs out of kerosene. We need to figure out our next move before that happens, otherwise, that  _ thing  _ will be only one of our  _ many  _ problems.” 

Groaning softly, Oliver pressed his face into his boyfriend’s chest. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to stay in this neat, soft, safe world for a little bit longer. “Dad said he couldn’t get out until the snow eases up.” 

“Storm comes with the Wendigo, right?”

Oliver furrowed his brows. 

What had the information said?

Could it control the weather?

It seemed like it did, it used the snow to hide. 

The snow started and the monster appeared.

“I think you’re right. I think it uses the storm to hide.” 

“So then-- kill the monster, end the storm, your dads can come get us?” 

Oliver groaned and pulled away from Charlie’s chest, staring up at him. “Char, how the  _ actual fuck  _ are we going to kill that thing without it ripping us to shreds? You saw the teeth and claws.” 

“Pffft! Come on, we took on a werewolf by ourselves, you killed her. We can kill this thing too.” Charlie retorted with a confident snort. It made Oliver want to groan again. “Oh!” He snapped his fingers, making the smaller man jump. “Fire!”

“Huh?” 

“Fire! The page said fire was the only way to kill it. If we could set it on fire and hack it up or hack it up and set it on fire, we could kill it!” 

“Tch, Char--” Oliver sighed softly, rubbing his head softly. Charlie had a point. They needed to get out of here before the genny went out or they would freeze to death before the beast even got to them. 

“All right, all right,” He looked up at his boyfriend and smiled, just a little bit. 

Charlie’s stupid enthusiasm was contagious. 

“We need a plan.” 


	10. Don't Let It Take Me

**_Chapter IX_ **

Oliver was still shaking.

The plan hadn’t helped him feel more secure. In fact, it did the opposite. He felt terrified all over again. Not that the feeling had ever really faded. 

Charlie had checked the generator again, after making sure the beast was gone. There was enough fuel for the night and maybe half the next day. After that though, they were up shit creek without a paddle. Charlie had checked every can that was in the utility room, but there wasn’t any more kerosene anywhere.

It took all night to come up with a plan that they both agreed on. 

Well, comprised on. 

Oliver didn’t like it and he had told Charlie more than once that he didn’t like it.

Charlie had pointed out more than once that they didn’t have any other choice. 

Oliver was supposed to be bait, to lure the beast in so they could kill it, or try to kill it at least. He was not confident. 

“I don’t like this,” 

“Oli,” Charlie sighed as he loaded the gun and held it out to him. “We’ve gone through everything, several times now,”

Oliver frowned and took the gun in his hand, checking it before pushing on the safety and shoving it into his belt. “I know, I know but-- but what if it goes wrong? What if it--” 

“Hey,” Charlie reached out, wrapping his hand around the back of Oliver’s head and pulling him close, their foreheads touching. “What did I promise you?” 

The younger man whined and squirmed in his spot, forcing his eyes up to look at Charlie. “You won’t let it get me.” 

“I will  _ not  _ let it get you,” Charlie reaffirmed. 

The words eased his anxiety only slightly. 

“Listen Oli, you can do this,” Charlie’s hands moved and gripped Oliver’s shoulders, giving him a firm squeeze. Oliver felt like Charlie was trying to pump him up for a football game, rather than to kill a monster. 

“You just have to get close enough to distract it while I come up behind it with the axe. If we can get it down, we can set it on fire. The fire will kill it, we’ll hack it up and bury it. Then we can figure out how to get home.” 

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it stuck there. Reluctantly, Oliver nodded his head. It was either try this or freeze to death. The monster had made it clear that it wasn’t going to give up any time soon. They had to try what they could to get the fuck out of here. “Okay, alright, I can do this. We can do it, we have to.” 

Charlie nodded slightly and pressed his lips to Oliver’s forehead. “You can do this. You killed a fucking werewolf when you were sixteen, you can do this.” 

The younger man nodded again, he was replying the words over and over to himself like a mantra, hoping it would relinquish his fear. 

It didn’t really. 

“Char?” Oliver called as he grabbed his sweater and pulled it on over his head. 

“Yeah?”

“I love you, don’t die, or I’ll kill you.” 

“Promise,” Charlie grinned and gave the smaller boy a shove, before heading down the basement stairs, he was going out the back to get the axe. Oliver just had to distract the beast long enough for Charlie to do so. 

Oliver sighed as he turned to the door, pulling the gun from his belt. He checked it over once more before shoving it into his sweater pocket, finger toggled over the safety. “Alright, ya bastard. Here I come.” Oliver took one last deep breath and yanked the door open. The frigid air was the first thing to slam into his face as he walked out onto the landing and down the steps into the snow. 

**_OLIVER._ **

Already, the beast was calling his name. 

It made him recoil a little, he wanted to run back up the stairs and hide inside the church again. 

**_OLIVER,_ **

**_COME._ **

Oliver swallowed hard and forced his heavy feet to take a step forward in the deep snow. It was so cold. Colder than he could ever remember it being. The wind was biting at his face as he took his steps.

He had to do this though. 

He had to be brave. 

_ It’s not going to get me. Charlie won’t let it get me. It’s not going to get me. _

Oliver was tempted to turn and see if Charlie was coming around the church with the axe yet, but he didn’t dare look, lest he alert the creature of their plan. 

If it didn’t already know. 

They didn’t really know what this thing could do. 

If it could call to him without using actual words, could it read his mind as well? 

Did it know what they were up to? 

Oliver shook his head to clear the intrusive thoughts so he could get back to the task at hand. He took a few deep breaths before stepping in the snow and looking up, trying to see through the blizzard. “Alright, you bastard! Come on then! You wanted me, here I am!” He marched forward, listening to the sound of the snow crunching under his shoes and the thump of his heart in his ears. 

He might be a little too good at this bait thing. 

“Herrrreeee, beasty, beasty beasty!” Oliver called again, freezing in his tracks when a howl answered him back. 

Yellow eyes stared at him through the snowy haze. 

**_OLIVER._ **

The beast’s voice seemed to rumble like thunder across the hollow. Its tongue lolled out of its unmoving jaw, saliva dribbling down the front of its chest. 

It had to be using some kind of telepathy. It seemed to taunt its victims with stolen voices of it’s loved ones and after they were falling under its spell, it spoke to them in a voice only they could hear.    
  
That’s why Charlie didn’t hear it when it spoke to him. 

It made its prey seem mad, which made other people automatically shun them until no one was left, leaving them alone and desperate. 

Then, it pounced. 

As a predator should. 

Oliver clutched at the gun in his pocket.

_ Charlie, you better be coming soon.  _

The hair on the back of his neck stood and his flesh raised when he heard the crunch of the snow. At first, he thought the beast was taking a step towards him, but in the thick snow, his feet were lifting and moving him towards the creature. 

He could see it now, standing feet away with an arm outstretched, clawed fingers beckoning him closer. 

_ Shit!  _

**_CLOSER._ **

His fingers tightened harder around the gun as his feet took another mechanical step forward. 

_ No, no, no, this is bad! Get outta my head! Let me go!  _

**_CLOSER._ **

**_COME TO US._ **

Another unbewised step. 

The clawed hand was closer, the stench of rotting flesh filled Oliver’s nose as his body moved against its own volition towards the monster. The hand that wasn’t gripping the gun was lifting from his side, out towards the claws, his fingertips were centimetres from touching. 

Hot tears burned in his eyes and escaped down his cheeks. 

_ Charlie, _

His body trembled with fear, a sob broke from his throat. 

_ You can do this Oliver. _

_ I won’t let it take you. _

“You can’t have me!” Oliver yanked his hand back, breaking the thrall of the Wendigo. He pulled the gun from his pocket and pointed it at the horrid yellow eyes and pulled the trigger. 

The creature recoiled and shrieked, it sounded like the death wail of a banshee. Its horrible clawed hand lashed out at the gun, slashing Oliver’s wrist and knocking the weapon away. 

The impact sent Oliver tumbling into the snow with a gasp. He could only lay there for a moment. All the air knocked from his lungs. 

_ The gun, get the gun!  _

He scrambled, reaching out and trying to regain his only weapon.

The snow crunched under heavy footfalls as Charlie came barreling past Oliver with the axe raised at the beast. 

“Get the lighter!” He screamed as the axe thrust down into the shoulder of the beast. It bellowed in pain, flinging its massive arms about. Charlie had to pull hard to dislodge the axe from its writhing form. 

“Lighter, lighter, right!” Oliver pushed himself up from the ground and shoved his shaking hands into his pockets for the lighter. His fingers were so cold it was hard to grip anything, but he finally managed to yank it from his pocket. “I’ve got it!” He screamed, looking up just in time to see the beast swat Charlie like a fly. The axe went flying towards Oliver as Charlie tumbled across the tundra in the other direction. 

“Charlie!” 

The older boy didn’t move.

The wind howled harder, snow whipping at his face. 

Oliver felt the floodgate inside of him break. Rage took the place of his fear and he ran towards the beast. The lighter was shoved back into his jean pocket as he leaned down and scooped up the axe. Wrapping both hands around it, he swung like a professional baseball player.

The axe found its home in the howling monster’s chest. Oliver had to stagger his feet and pull back hard to remove it from the breast bone. Something primal had taken over him, it was fueling him to protect Charlie, to kill this thing before it killed them both. 

Claws swung out in retaliation, making contact with Oliver’s face. The smaller man screamed and pulled back, placing one hand over the bleeding gashes. He turned back to the beast as it leaned it’s head back and howled. Oliver roared in defiance as he gripped the axe and ran back towards it. He reeled the axe over his shoulder and swung as hard as he could toward the beast’s neck. 

“Die, you fucker!” He screamed as the head was lopped from the monster’s shoulders. It hit the ground with a sickening thud and rolled towards the woods. 

Both bodies stood there for a millisecond, shock running through Oliver’s body, leaving him unable to move as the Wendigo’s body worked to catch up with the fact that its head was gone. 

The headless creature sunk to its knees, Oliver scrambled back before it could tumble on top of him. 

As it thudded into the snow, the blizzard ceased. The snow and the wind died all at once. 

The beast was dead. 

Oliver was breathing hard, the adrenaline had left him almost hyperventilating. 

But he wasn’t done yet. 

He walked back over, being cautious as he nudged it with his shoe. It didn’t move. 

Oliver raised the axe over his head and hacked at the beast until it was in pieces. 

By the time he was done, he was covered in blood and gasping for air. His shaking hands dug into his jean pocket and flicked the zippo, throwing it onto the dismembered body. 

The fire roared to life, and Oliver stepped back from the heat. 

Something touched him from behind, letting out a yell he wheeled around, gripping the axe, ready to continue fighting. 

“It’s me, it’s me!” Charlie took a step back and raised his hands in defence. 

“Christ, Charlie!” Oliver dropped the axe and threw his arms around his boyfriend. “You scared the hell out of me!” 

“Sorry,” He whispered, wrapping his arms around Oliver in return as he stared at the fire behind him. “You killed it,” Charlie whispered as he pulled away from Oliver. 

Oliver nodded and turned to look at the fire. “I killed it,” He reached up and touched the gashes on his face, they were starting to hurt now that his adrenaline was wearing off. “At a cost though.” 

“Me too, battle scars are sexy though, makes you look tough.” Charlie smiled a little at him, taking his chin in one hand to look them over. It didn’t get his eye at least. The gashes went from his forehead, around his left eye, down his chin and the side of his neck. The younger man was bleeding pretty bad. He looked like something out of a horror movie. His right wrist was also bleeding where the beast had slashed him the first time. Charlie has a superficial slash across his chest. It wasn’t quite as deep as Oliver’s. 

Oliver sighed as he pulled away from Charlie, walking towards the woods where the head was sitting in the snow. Its eyes were black and its tongue was hanging out of the mouth. He picked it up and tossed it into the fire, he could have sworn he heard the beast screeching one last time. 

“Let’s go in before we bleed to death,” Oliver laughed as he wrapped his arm around Charlie. All the adrenaline was gone, he felt like his legs were going to go out. 

“We’ll call your dads again,”

Oliver nodded, turning his head to look at the fire once more. 

“Good. I want to get the fuck out of here.”


	11. Home

**_Chapter X_ **

The weather was starting to warm already. Since Oliver had killed the monster and set its body ablaze, the snow and wind had stopped and the weather seemed to be returning to normal. Though, dark clouds still hung over the sky, rain threatening to fall from them. That would be okay though, it would melt the snow that much faster and make it easier for his dads to get out to them. 

Oliver sat outside on the step, watching as Charlie separated the ashes of the Wendigo, placed them into jars, poured holy water into them and buried it all together, separate from one another like the article had told them to do. 

They had called Oliver’s parents again, they were going to come and get the boys as soon as the roads were clear enough to do so. The fire had burned all night and most of the day. They hadn’t slept yet, Oliver didn’t know if he would ever sleep again. He could only see that thing whenever he closed his eyes. 

Yellow eyes, gaping mouth, slimy tongue hanging there like a panting, drooling dog. 

Even though it was dead, he could hear it in his dreams, still calling to him. 

He sighed as he looked down at the axe, covered in blood from the monster and himself. He tossed it away to the ground with a thud as a car came barreling up the road into the parking lot. 

“Oliver! Charlie!” Cameron’s voice came out high and shrill as he stumbled out of the jeep that wasn’t even parked yet. His feet slapped in the snow and dirt as he ran towards his boys. “What happened?! Are you okay?! Oliver, your face--” When he reached his son, he wrapped his arms around him and yanked the boy to his shoulder, practically squeezing the life from him. 

“It’s fine, dad, we’re okay.” Oliver tried to soothe his hysterical parent as Charlie dropped the shovel and slowly limped his way over to the two of them. 

When Cameron was done squeezing Oliver, he turned to Charlie and pulled him to his shoulder and embraced him as well.

Jacob walked up behind his husband and gently took his son’s face into his hand, looking it over carefully. “You okay? Was this from the animal or the car accident?” 

“O-Oh-- I was just-- I think I was hysterical when I was talking about something being after us. There wasn’t anything, it was from the glass. Can we-- Can we just go home?” He asked, leaning into his father’s arms. 

“You both need to go to a hospital,” Cameron retorted, finally releasing Charlie. 

“Dad, we’re okay, we don’t need to--” 

“Oliver Daniel,” Jacob’s voice was deep and commanding. Oliver was quiet in an instant, all eyes on the more stoic of the two men. “You respect your father. Charlie can barely walk and you definitely need stitches. We’re going to a hospital.” 

Jacob rarely spoke, but when he did, his voice and posture commanded respect. Which everyone willingly gave. 

Oliver lowered his eyes and nodded, “Yes, sir.” 

“Good, now everyone in the damn car, we’re getting the hell out of here.” 

Cameron wrapped an arm around Charlie and helped him hobble to the car, Oliver grabbed their bag from the stoop of the church and headed in the same direction. 

Jacob stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where the charred grass and ash was. His dark eyes lifted to the woods and scanned the area. 

Something was wrong. 

Something was watching them. 

“Jake, honey? Let’s go!” Cameron called over his shoulder. 

Jacob pulled himself from his spot and headed to the jeep. 

With everyone piled in, he put the car in reverse and turned around, driving away from the little church. 

When Jacob looked in his mirror to check on his boys, he could have sworn he saw a pair of yellow eyes watching them. 

It gave him chills. 

He forced himself to look away and concentrate on driving the car. 

They collectively decided to drive to the hospital in Huntington. All four had had issues at Pleasant Valley. Thankfully it was quiet when they got to the emergency room and the boys were able to go back right away while Jacob called Charlie’s mother and Cameron took care of the insurance stuff. 

The damage was less than they thought it was going to be. 

Charlie had a sprained ankle and a concussion, some broken ribs from when the Wendigo had tossed him. 

Oliver had a concussion as well, mostly cuts and bruises. His wrist needed twelve stitches, and his faces needed a grand total of nine stables to seal all three cuts. 

They were well enough to be released, thankfully.

That’s all both boys wanted, and even though Charlie didn’t want to leave Oliver alone, he wanted his mother. 

She was there waiting for them when Charlie and Oliver came out from the ER. 

“Oh! Charlie!” Celia grabbed her son and wrapped her arms around him tightly, just as Cameron had earlier. “Are you okay? Oliver, honey? Are you okay?” 

Charlie smiled at his mother and nodded, Oliver, nodded too, once again leaning into his father. The nurses had given them both some pretty potent pain killers to help them rest and heal. With not sleeping the night before it was hitting them both hard now. 

“What happened?” She asked in a much softer tone. 

“An animal ran out in front of my truck and we rolled it. We tried to call you but the lines were down.” Charlie explained quickly. “Ma, I’m really shot, can we go home, please?”

She nodded to him, wrapping her arm around his back to help him as they all walked to the cars. 

Charlie kissed Oliver’s forehead before he got into the front of his mother’s car. Jacob helped Oliver into the back of the jeep. 

“Cam-- I have to go back to Pennsylvania in a week or so, I’ll try to get more time off but can Charlie--” 

Cameron waved her off with a soft smile. “Of course he can. Our home is his home, you know that.” 

Celia smiled a little at them and nodded, moving to hug Cameron tightly. “Thank you for picking them up, I appreciate it so much.” 

Cameron nodded a little as Celia moved over and tapped the window where Oliver was, pointing at him playfully. “You rest, you hear me?” 

Oliver smiled and laughed a little, nodding to her. “Promise.” 

With everyone in their own cars, finally, Oliver was on his way home. When they got there, Jacob helped him in again, making sure to hold him as he kicked off his shoes. 

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?” Oliver asked. 

Cameron looked to Jacob, who nodded. “Of course you can, baby.” 

  
They marched him upstairs, Jacob helped Oliver get into pajamas, before letting him crawl into the center of their bed. Jacob climbed in on one side, pulling his son close to soothe his hair as he closed his eyes. 

Cameron climbed in on the other side, pulling the blanket up around their boy. 

Oliver was asleep in no time at all. 

He was beyond exhausted. 

The two men sat in silence for a while, just watching their son and making sure he was asleep.

“It wasn’t an animal, was it?” 

Jacob shook his head as he ran his hand over Oliver’s dark hair.

“He won’t tell us though, what it was-- really, I mean.” 

“No, Cam, I don’t think he will. At least not yet.” Jacob replied looking up at his husband. 

“You don’t--” Cameron paused, trying to swallow the lump in his throat before he could finish. “You don’t think-- it was  _ her,  _ do you?” 

Jacob bit down on his lip, taking a long moment to think. “They killed whatever it was, despite being afraid, they killed it. I’m hoping it doesn’t matter if it was her or not.” 

Cameron sighed, pulling himself closer to his son, kissing the back of his head as he slept. 

“I hope you’re right.” 


	12. Night Terrors

**Part Two**

**Chapter XI**

_ Oliver come,  _

The voice beckoned to him, urged him to follow its siren call. It pulled him out of bed, down the stairs and out the backdoor. Oliver didn’t feel the cold as he walked barefoot in the snow. 

**Crunch.**

**Crunch.**

**Crunch.**

Across the snowy landscape, following the call, the song of the beast. He felt out of control of his own body again. Walking on its own, like a zombie called to the smell of flesh.

_ Come, _

_ Oliver, _

_ Come to us. _

The beast sang and Oliver mechanically obeyed the call. He walked until its eyes came into sight.

Horrible.

Yellow.

Gleaming brightly in the darkness.

_ Oliver, _

_ Mate. _

The beast reached out and grabbed Oliver, biting down so hard that even in his trance-like state, he screamed. It had bubbled up and out before he knew what was going on. Its large claws were tearing at his clothes, one swipe from the blood-stained claws, shredding them to pieces. Oliver did his best to kick, squirm and twist in the beast’s grip, but the jaw clamped around his shoulder made it impossible to escape.

**_MATE._ ** **_  
  
_ **

It bellowed the word as it shoved Oliver face down to the ground, looming over the back of him.

  
_ “No!”  _ _   
_ _   
_ Oliver jerked up from his bed, his back was drenched with sweat and his hands were shaking as they moved to grip his hair. Oliver pulled his knees to his chest and gasped for air. 

The dreams started a day or so after his parents brought him home. He had been snuggled between his fathers, secure, safe. The beast shouldn’t have been able to touch him there with both of his parents protecting him. 

But they couldn’t protect him in his dreams. 

And the dreams always started with the same siren song. 

The soft lull of his name on the wind in a stolen voice. 

Who it belonged to he wasn’t sure. 

He woke up screaming and thrashing, cursing and crying. 

Jacob held him as Cameron cried and stroked his son’s hair until the night terror eased. 

Later, both would gently try to probe their son for answers to what he had seen. What had happened at the church. What he dreamt about. But Oliver refused to say anything. How could he tell them that he was having dreams about a monster raping him?

How sick in the head did he have to be? 

_ They won’t understand.  _

It was becoming a mantra in his head that he used to convince himself that there was no point in telling them or Charlie. 

Hell, he saw no reason to tell anyone. 

Those dreams were his dirty little secret to live with. 

When the beast called to him in his dreams, he willingly went to it. 

Like a moth to the flame. 

And it violated him. 

Sometimes he would manage to cry out.

Sometimes he would moan. 

Sometimes he’d catch the reflection of his eyes off the ice and see that same terrible yellow as the thing that was thrusting into him, slowly making him like it. 

The dreams weren’t like other dreams. They were vivid like he could feel everything that was happening to him, but at the same time, he felt like he was floating outside of his body, watching and listening to himself. 

He could hear the monster’s noises. The grunts and sighs it would make, the words it mumbled as it worked its hips into his. 

_ Mate.  _

_ Breed. _

_ Replace. _

_ Mate.  _

_ Mine.  _

_ Mine!  _

_ MINE! _

Oliver shook his head, trying to erase the images. 

Outside, the wind started to howl and it sent a shiver down his spine. 

The young man pulled his hands away from his hair and rolled over. He yanked open the drawer and dug through it blindly until he found his headphones, shoving them over his ears. He connected them to his new phone and rolled back into the bed, pressing them tightly to his head, desperate to drown out the noises from outside. 

_ Please, I just wanna sleep.  _

When sleep did finally come, it was only a few hours. He wasn’t sure exactly how many. He woke to his father’s soft voice attempting to rouse him. 

“Oli?” Jacob whispered, a tender hand on his son’s shoulder. A frown came to his face when he saw the dark circles under Oliver’s eyes. “Nightmares again?” 

The younger man nodded softly to him, shifting to pull off the headphones and sit up in his bed, knees pulled tightly to his chest. 

“Will you tell me about them?” Jacob asked, quieter this time as he slowly lowered himself to the bed. 

Oliver only shook his head no.

_ What would he think of you? Letting that  _ **_thing_ ** _ have its way with you? _

_ They’d think you were sick.  _

_ All of them.  _

_ They’d lock you up.  _

“Oliver, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s going on. What happened out there? Something besides crashing the car happened. You told daddy that there was something after you, what was it?” Jacob tried prodding again, he needed answers if he was going to help his son at all. 

“Nothing, I’m fine.” 

“Well, that’s a bald-faced lie.” 

“Papa, just drop it, nothing happened.” Oliver turned his head away from his father. He could hear Jacob sigh softly. 

“Okay, okay, well. Charlie will be coming around six tonight. You should probably clean your bathroom. We can smell it downstairs.” He attempted to joke, throwing a little smile to his son who didn’t react at all. 

“Yeah, I’ll clean it. My room needs it too.” He whispered, keeping his eyes to the covered window as he spoke. Clothes and papers were thrown all over his room. He hadn’t had any energy to try and clean up after himself since he got home. It had been a few weeks now. He needed to do something about it. 

Oliver pulled himself up out of the bed and stretched his arms out over his head, letting everything in his back crack all the way down. 

Jacob sat there quietly for a moment before deciding to speak again. “Do you feel bad about your scars?” He asked, making a motion with his hands to his own face. 

Oliver shrugged his shoulders and averted his eyes again. “I don’t know. Kinda. They make me ugly.” 

“Don’t say that, you’re not ugly.” Jacob frowned a little as he stood up, walking around the bed and picking up a few shirts to toss in the hamper. “I could get you some scar cream or something, just to try? It might fade them a little.”    
  
“I thought the doctor said it wouldn’t do anything.” 

“He said  _ probably, _ doctors’ aren’t always right.” 

Oliver chewed his lip and shrugged his shoulders again. “If you want. Might as well try it. Not like it could make it worse.” 

Another awkward silence filled the room. 

Jacob didn’t talk much on a good day, he didn’t like to talk really, but he needed Oliver to open up so he could help him. But Oliver was unwilling to speak about what was happening. 

He felt like he knew what was in store for him if he did. 

_ They won’t understand. _

“I’m uh-- I’m gonna get cleaning, papa. I’ll be down with laundry in a bit.” 

Jacob swallowed hard and nodded his head, turning to walk to the door. Before he left he stopped and turned to his son again. “Oli--” He sighed a little and rubbed the back of his head. “ Are you sure you’re going to be okay alone this weekend? We’re going to be all the way in New York.” 

Oliver nodded, flashing a fake smile. “I’ll be fine, and I won’t be alone, Charlie will be here. His mom is going out of town again for work, we’ve done this a million times.” 

“You could come with us if you wanted. You and Charlie.” Jacob suggested. 

Oliver nudged his foot against a dirty pair of pants on the floor and shook his head. He didn’t want to go to a hotel and wake up screaming in the middle of the night and ruin everything. 

“No, I’ll be okay with Charlie here.” 

Silence filled the room once again as Jacob moved from the door. He took his son’s head in his hands and pressed his lips to his forehead for a long second. “Okay,” He whispered as he pulled away. “I’ll be downstairs. Think of what you want for dinner this weekend.” 

Oliver nodded and watched as his father left the room. 

A twinge of guilt bubbled up like bile in his throat for not only snapping at his loving father, who wanted nothing more than to help him, but also lying about the nightmares. 

About what happened at the church. 

About being okay with just Charlie this weekend. 

_ They won’t understand.  _


	13. Guilt Tripping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for late chapter posting! Holidays were madness!

**_Chapter XII_ **

Jacob and Cameron left when Charlie arrived. 

Cameron ordered the boys pizza, keeping Oliver in the kitchen with him, distracted by picking out what they wanted, while Jacob spoke in hushed tones to Charlie about his son. They were both concerned about him, he was acting strangely, doing things he didn’t usually do.

And the nightmares. 

He wouldn’t tell them what they were about, but Jacob knew they had to be terrifying because Oliver woke up almost every night screaming. 

Charlie saw the changes too. 

Oliver had lost that bubbly, silly personality that he was so used to. He was withdrawn, quiet, deeply depressed. 

Charlie had caught him more than once tracing the scars on his face with a faraway look in his eyes. They bothered him more than what Oliver let on.

Jacob told the older boy to keep a close eye on Oliver and if anything happened he was to call them as soon as possible. 

Charlie agreed. 

After goodbyes, their pizza was delivered, Charlie took care of it, paying for it with the money Oliver’s parents left them. He placed the pizza and two-litre of soda on the coffee table as Oliver flipped through the stations, trying to find something to watch. He had no interest in anything at the moment, so it was hard to decide, though there were a few things he knew he wouldn’t be able to stand.

Monster movies were out of the questions. 

Ghost shows might be okay. 

Steering clear of supernatural things might be best though. 

“Did you find anything yet?” Charlie asked, returning to the couch with plates and a roll of paper towels. He felt out the plate to Oliver who took it and shrugged his shoulders. 

“Nothing sounds good,” Oliver grumbled as he finally picked a Stephen King’s  _ Cujo _ . They’d seen it a million times, but it was good enough for background noise. It was good enough while he flipped the pizza box open and grabbed a couple of pieces. 

“Oli,” Charlie reached out and gently touched his boyfriend’s arm. “I wish you would talk to me.” 

Oliver leaned away from him, feigning that he was putting the plate back on the table. “I wish you all would just back the fuck off. That’s all I hear from papa all the time. _What’s wrong, you have to talk about it? Oliver, what’s going on?_ Now you’re gaining up on me too because he asked you too, and if it’s not you two, it’s dad giving me that stupid kicked puppy face! I’m fucking sick of it. I’m _fine,_ I’m dealing with this my way! Just let me!” 

He didn’t really mean to snap, but it just kinda happened. He had been holding all of those feelings inside for months and now he was past his boiling point. 

Charlie dropped his eyes and stared at his feet like a dog who had been kicked. 

Oliver’s rage boiled hotter. 

_ How dare he guilt trip me! Charlie of all people! _

Even if he didn’t mean to, it made Oliver want to grab him and shake him until he quit. 

The younger man groaned as he grabbed Charlie’s plate and shoved it at his chest, before picking up his own. He took a bite of his pizza, trying to calm the rage. 

“Stop with the face,” 

“I’m not making a face,” Charlie whined as he took the plate and lowered it to his lap.

“Yes, you are! You’re making that, “I’m a puppy and you just kicked me,” face. It’s the same one my dad makes when I won’t talk to him either. I wish you all would just quit this crap. There’s a reason I don’t want to talk, you don’t understand, so knock off the guilt-tripping.” Oliver snapped again, throwing his paper plate down. It barely made a  _ TWACK  _ noise, that was a lot less dramatic than he’d hoped. 

Charlie was quiet for a moment, assessing the situation. How could he get Oliver to talk without him blowing up? 

“Your parents might not understand, Oli, but I was there; with you. I saw it, I hunted it. I have scars from it too.” 

“But it’s not the same! It didn’t hunt you or call your name! You don’t dream about the fucking thing!” 

Charlie’s eyebrows shot up at the words. 

Finally, he was getting somewhere. 

“W-What do you mean-- you dream about it?” He shifted a little bit, placing his plate on that table as well. 

_ Shit. _

Oliver looked away, fidgeting in his seat.

Charlie had caught him.

He let his guard down and it all came pouring out. 

No wonder his papa set Charlie on him.

If not one else could make Oliver open up, Charlie could. 

“I don’t-- I mean--” 

_ Should I tell him?  _

Charlie was, maybe, the one person who would understand. 

“Oliver, please, please you can trust me, you can always trust me. I’d never judge you, you know that.” 

Oliver sighed a little as he shifted on the couch. “I see it,” He whispered, “It calls my name, talks to me. I’ve been seeing it since we killed it at the church.” 

“Since the church? Oliver, that was weeks ago.” 

Oliver nodded a little, sighing as he rubbed his face. “I know, but that’s what’s going on.”

Charlie bit his lip, he was afraid to ask what the monster was telling him. But he had to know. It was telling him something that made him scared enough that Oliver was shutting down. He had to ask. He had to know. 

“What does it tell you?” 

The younger man swallowed hard, staring at the coffee table in front of him. 

It was one thing to tell Charlie he was dreaming of the monster. 

It was another to tell him what the monster wanted from him. 

_ Come, mine. _

**_MATE._ **

Images of the monster pinning him to the ground, ripping at his clothes and--

“It just calls my name. Wants me to come to it, as it did at the church when it tried to lure me outside.  _ Come, Oliver. _ ” He decided to leave out that the monster was calling him its mate. Trying to claim him as its own. 

“Do you hear it outside of the dreams?” Charlie needed to know if it was back if it was still hunting him once again. 

Oliver shook his head no. 

Another lie. 

“I’ve only heard it in my dreams. I haven’t seen eyes or heard the howls. Just in my dreams.” 

“Do you think it’s PTSD?” Charlie asked in a soft voice, moving his hand to gently touch his again. This time, Oliver laced their fingers together.

“Honestly--” Oliver started,

_ No, something is there. Something is out there. It’s calling me, it’s hunting me.  _

“Yes,” He lied, casting his eyes to Charlie and then away again. He reached for his plate, stomach starting to growl from not eating yet. “They’re just nightmares. Maybe they’ll ease now that I’m not keeping it to myself.” He flashed a small smile at Charlie. It was the first smile he had gotten since he got there. 

He hoped that it would be enough to make Charlie feel at ease for a little while. 

When Charlie smiled back at him, he let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding in. 

“Good, Oliver, you can talk to me about anything. You know that right?” 

_ Not everything. _

_ I wish I could tell you everything. _

“I know,” Oliver lifted their hands and kissed Charlie’s knuckles. “No more monster talk. I wanna just chill and watch movies with you for a while.” He smiled a little bit as Charlie leaned over and kissed him. 

“Deal,” The older boy smiled, grabbing his plate and starting to eat his food. 

Oliver watched him quietly before reaching for his plate as well. 

_ No more monsters. _

_ Please. _

_ No more monsters. _


	14. Thrall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ DISCRETION ADVISED
> 
> This chapter has graphic scenes of non-con/rape between a person and a monster. Please, be aware, I don't want to trigger anyone. Proceed with caution.

**_Chapter XIII_ **

Moans filled the empty house.

Oliver sat in Charlie’s lap with his boyfriend buried deep inside of him as they worked their hips together. 

They needed this.

A release.

Something to make them forget about the monster that lurked just beyond the backyard fence.

Oliver placed his hands on Charlie’s chest, riding the older boy harder and faster until they were both almost gasping for air. 

“Oliver--” Charlie gasped, closing his eyes as he gripped his lover’s slim hips to help lift him and drop him back on his cock. Oliver was so tight around him. He couldn’t get enough of him. “Fuck baby, you feel so fuckin’ good.” 

“Good,” He purred, sliding his hands up Charlie’s chest, over his neck to cover his eyes with one hand, while the other gripped his shoulder to keep himself balanced. “Focus on it,” Oliver whispered, “Focus on how good it feels.” The younger man groaned as he worked his hips, rolling them hard into Charlie’s. He was so deep inside of him. Touching every stop and making him feel everything all the more. 

Oliver couldn’t stand Charlie looking at his scarred face. He knew the other boy had said it didn’t bother him, but something deep inside told him not to let him look. Closing his own eyes, Oliver let his head tip back. 

There was nothing better than this. Nothing better than letting Charlie fill him. It made him feel-- Well, he’d take any feeling over the numb that had been holding him hostage lately. 

Oliver opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling, lowering his head an odd feeling compelled him to look towards the French doors and take in their reflection. That reflection almost made him stop moving altogether. 

His usual brown eyes seemed to have a strange yellow luminescence to them. 

The wind started to howl, Oliver could see the flakes of snow blowing in. He could have swore he heard the words again. 

_ Mine. _

_ Oliver come, _

_ Oliver, _

_ Mate, _

_ Mate! _

He slowed his hips and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shake the words away. 

Charlie noticed his hips slowing. “O-Oliver? Are you o-okay?” He whispered, pulling at the hand over his eyes. “Oliver, please, I wanna see you, I wanna kiss you.”

Oliver turned his head back to his boyfriend, smiling softly as he took his hand away. 

Charlie didn’t seem to notice.

_ It’s not real. _

_ It’s not there.  _

_ You’re safe.  _

_ He has you. _

“Sorry-- I’m fine, just-- getting a little tired.” He mumbled softly as Charlie took his face. 

“You wanna move?” 

Oliver nodded to him, pulling himself off of Charlie and kneeling over the arm of the couch so he could watch their reflection in the glass. 

Charlie leaned over him and wrapped one arm around his shoulders, pulling him to his chest. “I love you,” He whispered as he pressed his lips to Oliver’s. 

“I love you,” He whispered against Charlie’s lips. “Put your cock back in me.” 

Charlie grinned and nodded, taking hold of his member and pressing it to Oliver’s wet, supple hole. He groaned as he pressed himself back inside the tight, hot passage. 

Oliver moaned as well, letting his head drop as Charlie pushed himself to the hilt, bottoming out. They sat there, just for a moment to get used to the feeling before Oliver rolled his hips back. “Come on, fuck me.” 

The older boy obliged. 

He pulled his hips back and thrusted them back into Oliver, making both of them gasp. He didn’t wait to start slow and work up, he just went right to slamming his hips into his smaller boyfriend, listening and loving all the lewd noises he was making. “Fuck, fuck, Oliver. You feel so good. Your hole just sucks me in, like I’m made to be inside you.” 

Oh, the nasty words made Oliver’s cock ache. 

He reached under himself and started to stroke his member in time with the thrusts. The yellow eyes stared back at him as he watched Charlie thrust above him, his brain seeing flashes of the dreams, replacing Charlie with--

_ It. _

“Baby-- Oh,  _ fuck, _ ” Charlie groaned as he reached out and grabbed Oliver by his curls, pulling his head back. 

The younger man cried out at the feeling, but his hole tightened around Charlie more. 

“Fuck, Oliver, I’m gonna come.” He warned.

Oliver closed his eyes, gasping softly as he stroked his cock. “Yes, yes, I want you to, I want you to come inside of me.” 

Charlie nodded to him, panting as he worked his hips harder, chasing after the feeling of his high. He slammed his hips once more, shoving himself all the way inside of Oliver and filling him. 

Oliver gasped at the feeling, gripping his member tightly as he quickly followed as well, releasing into his hand. 

He flopped down against the arm of the couch, Charlie flopped against his back. 

The voice of the beast seemed to have faded. 

Oliver hesitantly looked to the doors, the snow was still flying, but the yellow was gone from his eyes. They were back to the original chocolate brown colour. 

A rush of relief came over him as he pressed his forehead against the cushion. 

“Ready for bed?” 

Oliver nodded to him, sighing softly. “Yeah, you did good wearing me the fuck out.” He turned his head and smiled over at him, making a smoochie face. 

Charlie laughed as he leaned over and kissed his lips three or four times before pulling out of him. “Love you,” 

“Love you too,” He sighed, shifting on the couch. He could feel Charlie’s hot come leaking from his hole and down his thighs.

“Do you wanna shower?” 

“Too much work,” Oliver replied as he stood up. “Let’s just wash up and crawl into bed.” 

The two of them headed up the stairs and washed up, grabbing some pajamas before crawling into the cozy warmth of the bed. 

They drifted off to sleep.

The howl on the wind was what woke Oliver. But it sounded different. It wasn’t the hungry howl that they were so used to.

_ Oliver, _

Careful not to wake his boyfriend, Oliver untangled himself from the bed. He sat on the edge, looking at the time first and then to the window. 

It was 3:33 AM.

The snow was still falling, it made him wonder if it had been snowing since they had gone to bed about midnight. It was coming down heavier now, life before outside the church when he faced off with the monster. 

He pulled himself from the bed, walking to the window. Oliver looked out into the snow, there, just beyond the gate a familiar shadow with piercing yellow eyes. It stared at him and he stared right back, slowly falling under its trance. 

There was no fear. 

No anything. 

It was like he wasn’t connected to his body anymore.

_ Come. _

_ Oliver. _

His body moved without his brain telling it to. Oliver turned on his heel and headed out of the bedroom like a zombie. Down the stairs, to the French doors that faced the darkness of the fenced-in yard. 

His hand moved and took the hand, flicking the lock up but he didn’t open the door.

_ Don’t go out there. You know what’s waiting for you if you do! It’s a trap!  _

He hesitated, pulling his hand off the handle. 

The motion light by the doors flipped on, making Oliver jerk backwards, ripping his eyes away from the handle upward. 

The horned shadow stood in the open doorway at the back of the fence.

Oliver recoiled from the door, but the beast beckoned him once again. 

_ Open the door. _

_ Come outside.  _

_ Come to us. _

_ Oliver. _

_ Come to us. _

Oliver felt as if he was sinking deeper into the trance that the beast was throwing over him. He had pulled himself from its thrall slightly only to be sucked back in. The empty feeling returned and once again, his body moved without his mind’s permission. 

The hand that had been so hesitant about opening the door went back to the cool metal and turned it, pulling the door open. The snow sent a shiver down his body as it hit him in the face. 

His feet were more hesitant. 

His instincts were screaming at him not to go. He didn’t want to. He was terrified to go. 

_ Come to us. _

The beast continued to chant its command until Oliver obeyed. 

Dressed only in his pajamas, Oliver stepped out into the snow with bare feet, lulled by the Wendigo’s siren song.

Things went dark as he walked through the snow, down the porch, through the yard, through the gate and into the woods behind the safety of the fence. Everything was numb. His face was pale and his lips turning blue, feet red and blistered, ready to break open and bleed. 

The siren call led him to a cave. 

When Oliver stepped inside, the haze lifted a little bit. He blinked his eyes and looked around. How did he get here?

Where was he?

Thudding footfalls made Oliver freeze in place. He could feel the breath of the beast on the back of his neck. 

He had fallen for its trick. 

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut, they were burning from the tears that were starting to fill them. His thin frame shook with fear. 

He couldn’t move or form words. 

Oliver was scared stiff. 

_ Mate. _

_ Replace. _

_ Mine. _

He tried to swallow his panic, he had to think of a way to get out of here. 

Could he outrun it?

Would it chase him down?

What did the words mean? 

Was it--

Was it planning on making him a monster too?

A Wendigo?

_ I have to run. I have to get away. _

_ Move. _

_ Move, you stupid bastard!  _

Oliver turned on his heel and tried to duck past the monster. His feet were on fire from walking barefoot in the snow for so long. 

He barely made it out of the cave when he heard the monster stomping after him. A clawed hand raised and swatted him. Oliver went flying into the snow with a cry. All the air was knocked from his lungs and all he could do was lay there and gasp like a landed fish. 

_ Mine. _

_ Mate. _

_ Replace! _

The beast repeated the words as it stomped over to Oliver, who rolled on his belly and tried to scoot back to his feet. Clawed limbs pinned him there in the snow as he squirmed. It made him more desperate to try and get away. 

“No, no, no, please, no!” He sobbed as the beast used one clawed hand to shred the little bit of clothing that Oliver was wearing like it was tissue paper. It sent a pang of sheer panic through him to feel his body exposed to the air. “No, fucking--- Get off! Get off!” Oliver continued to sob and kick at the monster. 

The Wendigo laid its other clawed hand pinned his shoulders to the ground. Oliver had to turn his head so the snow didn’t suffocate him. There was no way to get away from the monster now. It was holding him down with both hands, using all its body weight to keep him trapped there. 

Something hot and sticky smacked at Oliver’s backside. It started to rock its hips towards him, thrusting blindly until the head of its hard phallus caught the edge of Oliver’s used hole and shoved it’s way inside with no remorse. 

Oliver screamed. 

Screamed until his throat was raw. 

The Wendigo was huge, larger than the biggest horse he had ever seen. And just like an animal, it gave him no time to adjust. Once it found its way into his hot, wet hole, it thrusted hard and fast. 

_ Mate. _

_ Replace. _

_ Mine. _

_ Mate!  _

_ Replace!  _

_ Mine!  _

_ MINE! _

**_MINE!_ **

The monster howled, the sound of it drowned out Oliver’s cries and the sickening sound of skin smacking skin. 

Oliver was sobbing as the claws dug into his back and shoulders. 

“Stop! Fuck, please! Stop!” He felt sick as his body started to react to what was happening. No matter how much it hurt, he could still feel his member growing against his soaking pajama pants. 

_ No, you don’t like this! This is horrible, it hurts, it hurts!  _

Still, the hard thrusts from the beast above him made the heat in his stomach pool. 

Hot breath and a wet tongue panted against his neck and Oliver almost gagged. 

It smelt like death. 

Like rotting flesh. 

**_MINE._ **

**_MINE._ **

**_MINE!_ **

It howled again, opening it’s gaping mouth wide before leaning over and sinking its teeth into Oliver’s neck and shoulder as it released its hot seed inside of him. 

Oliver screamed into the hollow. 

It echoed all around him. 

He thought it would be done when he paused, but it never pulled away from him. Never pulled out of him. Instead, a moment later the monster started to violently thrust its hips back into him. 

How long it went on, Oliver wasn’t sure. 

He lost track of time and what was going on around him.

But when the sun started to peek it’s head over the horizon, it finally pulled away from him. 

He could only lay there. 

Covered in blood and come. 

Everything was numb at first but then the pain started to waft through him. He didn’t think he would be able to move. 

_ Go home. _

_ Come back. _

_ When dark. _

The snow crunched under the Wendigo’s weight as it stalked off. 

Oliver laid there in the snow until the cold numbed his pain. He slowly pushed himself up from the snow. His shredded clothes dangled from him as he stumbled towards the cave. He needed to figure out how he was going to get home. 


	15. He's Gone

**_Chapter XIV_ **

Charlie woke to a freezing house. Even under the blankets, he was shivering. He was groggy as he rolled over and reached toward where Oliver should have been laying, but the spot was empty. “Oliver?” He mumbled softly, turning his head to see if the bathroom light was on, but the room was dark. 

The older boy sat up in bed, looking around the bedroom. The wind was howling outside. Snow blowing around, storm raging. “Oliver?” He called again, hoping maybe he was somewhere in the house. But it was quiet. 

He leaned over and flipped on the light, shuddering as he came out from under the blanket. His brows furrowed when he saw his breath as he exhaled. 

Was the furnace out?

Was that why it was so cold?

Was Oliver trying to fix it and that’s why he wasn’t answering?

“Oliver! Where are you?!” He called out again as he got up from the bed, gasping as his feet hit the cold floor. Charlie wrapped the blanket around himself as he walked out of the bedroom. Heading down the stairs, he paused at the digital thermostat and tapped it. 

It was set to 70 degrees, but it was reading less than 50. 

He walked over to a vent and held his hand over it, warm air was flowing out. 

A howling noise made him jerk upwards, it sounded like wind blowing through a small space. When he came around the corner from the dining room, the cold wind whipped him in the face.

“Fuck!” He dropped his blanket and ran over to the door, looking around the kitchen for the broom, he did his best to brush the snow back out the door, before yanking it shut. 

The motion light was illuminating the yard and Oliver could see the snow flying around, and in the distance, the fence door banged and clacked. 

He could feel panic building in his chest. 

_ Oh, please don’t be gone.  _

Charlie looked through the entire house, calling his boyfriend’s name, but he was nowhere to be found. 

The door had been wide open. 

It was snowing.

And Oliver was gone. 

Charlie ran to the doorway, dialling Oliver’s parents on his phone as he pulled on his coat and boots. He had to go looking for him, he couldn’t just have him out there in the snow. 

The phone rang and rang, Charlie checked the time and it was around seven in the morning. Still dark, but the sun would be peeking its head over the horizon soon. 

Just when Charlie was going to give up and hang up the phone, it clicked and a groggy voice came over the other side. 

_ “Hello?”  _

“Cameron! Cameron, I woke up and-- and the door was open downstairs, Oliver is gone, I’m gonna go look for him now!” 

There was a shuffling noise on the other side of the phone. Charlie could hear Cameron shaking his husband awake. 

_ “Charlie, Charlie, hold on, what do you mean he’s gone? I thought you were going to watch him?”  _

The words were like a knife in his chest. 

He knew he was supposed to be watching him. He had one thing to do and somehow he had failed at it. 

“I was-- I mean-- we went to bed and he was there, I didn’t even feel him get up. The house was freezing and I got up, thinking maybe the heater went out and he was trying to fix it. I got downstairs and the sliding glass door was open and-- I’m so sorry, I looked all over and he’s not here.” Charlie could hear the pitch of his voice rising with his panic. “I’m so sorry, Cameron, I’ll find him. It’s snowing out, he couldn’t have gotten far.” 

_ “Charlie, I’m sorry-- It’s not your fault, hun. Maybe you should stay in if--”  _

“No, no, I have to go look for him, I know I was supposed to watch him, I’ll find him but-- But I think you should come back. He’s-- He’s been acting weird still.” 

_ “Okay, okay, we’ll pack up and check out. It’s going to take quite a while to get home though. If things get worse, call your mother, she’d be able to get back before us.”  _

“Okay, just-- hurry.” Charlie hung up the phone and threw it into his pocket. When he looked down once again to tie his boots, he spotted Oliver’s boots and coat were still laying there. 

Which meant that he didn’t leave by his own accord. 

He was lured out. 

Once his boots were tied, Charlie grabbed the blanket and a flashlight and headed out into the snow. 

“Oliver! Oliver!” He called as loud as he could, trying hard to walk through the snow. He had to find him. Had to get him home. Had to make sure he was safe. 

* * *

Oliver knew he couldn’t stay in the cave all day.

He had to try and get back to the house and tell Charlie what happened so they could stop it from happening again. Oliver looked out of the cave and frowned a little at the weather. He had to take a chance at it though. He had to. 

So, he set out into the cold. 

He had wrapped his shredded pajama bottoms around his feet and his shredded shirt around his waist. It was enough to keep the wicked wind from biting at him too much. It still fucking hurt. 

It was hard to remember the direction he came from. Oliver managed to look at the trees to see which side the moss was on, that at least told him north. 

  
  
The forest was north from his home. 

He went south.

Oliver got to the clearing, at least he was out of the woods. 

He needed to stop and try to catch his breath. 

Leaning against a tree, Oliver tucked himself against the side of it so he was out of the wind and snow. 

_ You can do this. _

_ You’re almost there. _

“Oliver---!” 

His head jerked up and his heart started to race, he was sure that it was the beast, back for more. 

But then--

A flashlight beam through the snow, and a Charlie-shaped shadow. 

“Charlie--” 

“Oliver!” The shadow called again. 

“Charlie!” Oliver called from his spot against the tree. 

The flashlight beam turned towards him and he could hear the crunch of the snow under boots, and his face appeared. Even through his tan, Oliver could see the pink in Charlie’s cheeks as he ran towards him. 

“Oliver! Oliver, oh, my God,” He took the blanket and wrapped it around his small frown, grabbing his shoulders. “Where did you go?! What happened?! Why did you--” Charlie paused as he looked over Oliver who was trying to cover himself. “Oli--” 

“Take me home, please. Please.”

Charlie stood there quietly before carefully scooping him into his arms, carefully made sure he was covered before walking back to the house.


	16. Traumatized

**_Chapter XV_ **

Charlie carried Oliver home. 

It was almost noon by the time they managed to stagger through the door. Thankfully the house was warm now. 

“I’m gonna wash you up, okay?” Charlie whispered to Oliver’s shivering form. He seemed to nod in agreement, but it was hard to tell with how bad his body was quivering. He took the stairs two at a time to get up to Oliver’s bathroom, where he gently set the younger man on the toilet lid while he started the water, making sure it was warm but not hot, he didn’t want to hurt him after he had been wandering out in the snow. He probably had frostbite all over his body.

“Oli,” Charlie spoke in a soft, gentle voice as he touched his boyfriend’s trembling form. “The bath is ready, can I help you get in?”

Oliver stared blankly for a moment before nodding his head and slowly standing with Charlie’s help. He pulled the shredded clothing away and helped him step over the ledge of the tub and sink into the warm water. 

Oliver made no reaction to the water, whether it was too hot or cold to him until he was sitting in it with his knees curled to his chest. “Char, make it hotter.” 

The taller boy had stepped away for a moment to reach for a washcloth. He knelt next to the tub and turned the water on, letting it get hot before putting the cloth under it, then touching it to Oliver’s skin. 

“Hotter.” 

Charlie frowned, turning it a little hotter. He wet the cloth again, pressing it to Oliver’s frigid knees, concern eating at his face. 

“Hotter,” Oliver mumbled again. 

“Oliver, I’m not making it hotter than that, you’re going to burn yourself,” Charlie replied, leaning against the tub. 

“I said I want it hotter!” Oliver screamed in a voice that was not his own, his brown eyes were that wretched yellow colour, fangs in his mouth. Charlie tumbled back as Oliver lunged for the faucet, turning the water as hot as it would go.

  
  
“Oliver! Oliver, no!” Charlie scrambled to his feet, trying to pull Oliver away as he attempted to turn the water off. He crawled into the tub, pulling his writhing boyfriend to his chest, trying to hush him as he fought. 

“I need it hotter! I need it hotter! I have to wash it off me! I have to get it off, it won’t come off! Charlie--!” Oliver thrashed against Charlie’s chest, screams turning to sobs as his body seemed to collapse against his chest. 

Charlie kept one arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other pressed to his forehead as he tried to hush him. 

Tears were rolling from his eyes as well. 

He wanted to ask what had happened, but he knew already. Deep down, he knew what the beast had done to Oliver. 

Water covered the floor as Charlie sat fully clothed in the tub, holding Oliver as he sobbed his heart out. 

Once Oliver had calmed down, Charlie went to gently wash the wounds that covered his body. He started with the marks on his back, then moved to the ones on his chest, legs and feet. 

“Do you want a moment alone-- To um-- wash other places?” Charlie mumbled softly as he looked up at him, shifting a little to stand from the tub, his wet clothes were starting to irritate his skin.

“Yeah, you can um-- go change, I’ll um, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Oliver looked up at him and Charlie nodded, leaving towels for Oliver and a couple for himself before shutting the door.

He stripped off the wet clothing and dried himself off, taking a moment to check his phone and see if Cameron or Jacob had called. There were several missed calls. He took the phone, hit redial and pulled his dry clothes on as it rang.

It only rang a couple times before Cameron picked it up. 

_ “Charlie! Thank god, where have you been?! What happened? Did he come back?” _

“I found him, Cam, I went out and found him.”

_ “Is he okay?” _

“I-- not really.” He replied, casting his eyes to the bathroom door. 

_ “What do you mean not really? Charlie, does he need to go to the hospital?”  _

“No-- I don’t think he’d let me bring him anyways. He’s-- he’s not acting like himself. I got him cleaned up, I’m going to try to get him to sleep for a little while, but I think I’ll wait until you get home to decide if he should go in.” Charlie moved out into the hall, closing the door halfway. “How um-- how far out are you?”

_ “It’ll be another four hours weather permitting, roads here are pretty good but you said it was storming there?” _

“Yeah, there’s a blizzard. It’s pretty bad out.” He paused for a moment, chewing his lip. “Cam-- Could you-- could you please hurry? I’m a little nervous to be alone with him.” 

_ “What do you mean? Because he took off? Or because of how he’s acting?”  _

“Both? I mean-- He said--He said something that kind of has me unnerved. He reacted in a scary way when I was putting him in the bath. I don’t want him to run off again, I don’t know if I could find him.”

_ “What did he say?” _

“He said-- he said something about-- a creature? L-Like the thing at the church?” 

_ “I thought the thing at the church was a cougar? Was it-- what do you mean a creature?”  _

“I don’t-- know how to explain it without you thinking I’m crazy.”

_ “Try.”  _

“We-- we saw this thing, it was tall and had like a deer head and antlers, these long claws. It chased us from the car all the way to the church, it almost lured Oliver out and we-- We figured out how to kill it. But-- I think this-- This was the same thing, and Oliver-- Oliver said it was trying to use him to  _ replace  _ the-- the one we killed.” 

_ “R-Replace how?”  _

Charlie felt his stomach rolling, this was probably a bad idea to tell Cameron, but he didn’t know what else to do. 

“It-- It assaulted him-- sexually.” 

There was a silence on the other side of the phone.

_ “It what?” _

_ Oh no. _

“That-- that’s what he told me--” 

_ “Charlie-- I don’t--.”  _

A heavy sigh, Charlie could practically feel Cameron rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

_ “Did you do something to him? D-Did you two fight? Is that why he took off? You can tell me the truth, I’m sure it was an accident.”  _

Charlie’s heart sank.

How could Cameron think that he would hurt Oliver? This man had known him since he was a toddler. 

But it was a hard thing to believe, he knew that. 

If he hadn’t seen that monster with his own eyes he would have never believed it was a real thing. 

“I didn’t do anything to him, I would never  _ ever-- _ ”

“Charlie? Where’d you go?” Oliver called to him as he came out from the bathroom. 

“I have to go, Cam, hurry home, please.” He hung up the phone, no longer wanting to hear what Cameron had to say to him. It bit at him in all the wrong ways, like something gnawing under his skin. 

_ Did you do something to him? _

He sighed, shaking the words from his head as he walked back into the bedroom. “Hey, you feel better?”

Oliver nodded a little, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. “I can’t walk, my feet hurt.”

“Okay, okay, c’mere.” Charlie walked over and carefully lifted him into his arms. He carried Oliver to the bed and went back to the bedroom to get the first aid kit. 

“I need some clothes, please,” Oliver whispered, looking shy.

“Oh-- Oh, of course, hang on,” He placed the kit down on the nightstand and got Oliver some boxers. “Do you-- Do you want pants and a shirt?”

“Um, maybe just one of papa’s shirts, I have a few in that bottom drawer.” Oliver pointed to the drawer. 

Charlie dug through, finding an old holey looking  _ Metallica  _ shirt that would do for now. He came back to the bed, helping with the shirt first and then let Oliver pull his own boxers on. 

Reaching for a stool, Charlie sat down and bandaged Oliver’s feel, taking special care to make sure there were no black marks from frostbite. He was extremely lucky, though he might lose some of the feeling in his feet. 

Once Oliver’s feet were wrapped and taken care of, Charlie pulled the blanket back and helped him scoot into the bed. “I’ll get you something for pain. Do you want me to stay with you?” 

Oliver nodded to him. “Don’t leave,” He whispered softly as Charlie tucked the blanket under his chin. 

“I won’t leave, I can sit in the chair or--”

“Hold me,” Oliver whispered, looking up at him, his big brown eyes making him look like a kicked puppy. “Please.” 

Charlie sighed and leaned down, kissing his forehead. “How can I say no to you?” He smiled a little and went to get Oliver something for pain before joining him in bed as well. 

Charlie held Oliver as they both tumbled into the darkness of sleep. 

Hours past, the boys slept relatively sound in the darkness of the room only stirring when the door to the house opened downstairs and Cameron called to them. “Oliver! Charlie!” 

Charlie sat up, slipping out of the bed, checking to make sure Oliver was still sleeping as he wandered out of the room and down the stairs. He was a little nervous to face Jacob and Cameron. “Hey, he’s uh, he’s still slee--” 

Jacob stomped over to Charlie and slammed him into the  wall, knocking pictures to the floor. Charlie gasped at the force of the shove and grabbed at Jacob’s hand. “What did you do to my son?!” He demanded.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Jacob! Knock it off! Let him go this instant!” Cameron moved over to his husband and pushed a hand to his chest to get him away. “Violence is not going to fix anything!” He turned to Charlie, trying to soften the look of concern on his face. “Listen, we know you would never do anything on purpose, but you have to tell us the truth about what happened, Charlie.” 

“He didn’t do it, dad.” 

All three heads turned to the top of the stairs as Oliver slowly made his way down. Bruises were starting to appear on his legs and face from where the monster had pinned him to the frozen ground. 

“Baby, baby come here,” Cameron called him down the stairs, usheri ng him away from Jacob and Charlie to quietly ask what had happened. 

Oliver looked back at Charlie and Jacob, frowning a little as he spoke. “It-- called me outside. I followed it, I didn’t mean too, it was like-- being in a trance and when I got there, it--”

“What it? What are you talking about, Oliver?” Jacob demanded.

The Wendigo answered his question with a howl. 

Everyone froze. 

Charlie was already shaking.

Oliver was moving to the door. 

Cameron and Jacob couldn’t move. 

“It’s back--” Oliver whispered as he moved closer to the door, hand coming up to touch the handle. 

Cameron moved and caught his son’s arm as the yard light flicked on. In the darkness of the blizzard, there was the outline of the monster. 

“What the fuck was that?!” Jacob shouted, he and Charlie both taking a step forward as Cameron pulled Oliver to his chest. 

When the creature howled again, Oliver mimicked the call. 

He turned in Cameron’s arms and buried his sharpened teeth into his father’s shoulder. Cameron cried out and shoved his son away, falling to the floor with a thud before trying to scramble back. 

Oliver’s eyes were yellow, his teeth and nails were long, and now his mouth was covered in blood. 

Jacob moved Charlie between himself and the wall, protecting the boy he was just accusing. “Oliver! Oliver, stop!” 

Oliver crouched like he was going to lunge at Jacob when the beast sang its siren song again. The boy turned towards the noise and ran at the french doors. He burst through them and started running into the snow, following the creature that beckoned him. 

“What the fuck--?! What the fuck was that?!” Cameron yelled, holding his shoulder as Jacob moved to help him from the floor. 

Charlie slowly walked around them toward the door. “That’s the creature I was telling you about-- It’s a--” 

“A Wendigo.” 

All eyes moved to Jacob. 

Charlie furrowed his brows, confusion all over his face. “How did you--” 

“It doesn’t matter how I know. How do we kill it before it takes my boy for good.” 

The teen moved away from the shattered doors and pulled on his boots and jacket again. He made sure there was a lighter in his pocket. “We have to chop it into pieces and set it on fire. I’ll grab the axe, Jacob, you grab your gun.” 

“W-What’s the gun for?” Cameron asked, still shaking as he held his shoulder. 

“To distract it.” 


	17. Safe

**_Chapter XVI_ **

The snowmobiles were the only way to really follow Oliver and the beast from the house. The snow was getting too deep to walk through and the ATV wouldn’t make it. Charlie took one, while Jacob and Cameron rode together on the other one. Their helmets had a headset inside so they would talk over the sound of the rumbling machine. 

_“How are we going to know where they went?”_ Jacob called through the radio as Charlie took them in the general direction that he had found Oliver before. 

_“I know where I found Oliver before, he had to come from somewhere along there. I don’t know what’s all out there. Have you guys ever been out that far?”_ Charlie called back as he stared ahead, trying to concentrate on where he was going, the snow was making it hard to tell. 

_“A couple times,”_ Cameron replied, _“There’s a big cave system to the north of the tree line there.”_

Charlie looked ahead and squinted a little, there was a line of trees. They would have to be careful going through, there was no real trail. 

Jacob went through first since he and Cameron had been through here before and Charlie hadn’t. They went slow, moving around trees and trying to find a path. Jacob stopped his snowmobile at one point and stood, pointing to the ground. _“Charlie, we found tracks, we must be getting close.”_

Charlie pulled his snowmobile up next to Jacob and Cameron and turned it off. He pulled his helmet off and reached behind himself for the axe. They would have to work together to kill this thing, to get Oliver back. “I think we should walk from here. I’m sure it already knows we’re coming, but I would like to try and keep them from running deeper into the woods or the caves where they might get a jump on us.”

Jacob nodded as he and Cameron pulled their helmets off. They all knew their jobs. 

Cameron would try and grab Oliver.

Jacob would distract the monster with his gun.

And Charlie would kill it. 

As their feet crunched through the snow, they could hear the howl of the beast echoing in the cave not far from where they were. 

“Stay here,” Jacob whispered, motioning for Charlie to get behind a tree. He and Cameron walked as quietly as they could towards the cave, one on each side of the opening. Peering inside, they could only see the back of the beast in the darkness. It was grunting and howling, working its hips into something below it like a dog humping another one. 

“What’s it doing?” Cameron whispered, only to have Jacob shake his head. He stepped inside the opening and drew the gun, firing it at the base of the monster’s skull. The bullet seemed to ricochet off the back of the skull towards the cave walls. 

But it had done exactly what it was supposed to. 

The beast turned its head, ugly yellow eyes landing on Jacob. Below it, another pair of yellow eyes turned. 

“Oliver--?” Jacob whispered, lowering the gun a little as he stared at his son. 

The beast pulled away from its prey and roared at Jacob, sending him scrambling backwards. He fired another shot at the beast, backing out of the cave as it came towards him. He had to get it far enough away that Cameron could get to their son and Charlie could help him kill it. 

“Come on, you big ugly fucker! Come get me!” Jacob taunted, watching as Oliver stood from the ground and turned as well, walking towards the entrance of the cave.

When the beast took a few steps out, Cameron ran inside. He had pulled his coat off and was wrapping it around Oliver as he tackled the writhing creature to the cave floor, trying to tie it around him to keep him still and out of the fight. 

Oliver fought against his father, howling and clawing. 

The Wendigo turned its massive head to see what was going on, to see if it needed to protect its mate. 

Jacob shot off another round from his pistol. “No, no, nasty, this way! C’mon!” He yelled again. The monster growled and turned back to him, taking a few large steps before trying to swipe at him. 

He managed to stumble back and out of the way. 

“Charlie! Any time now!” 

The younger man ran out from the tree line, axe thrown over his shoulder like a baseball player getting ready to smack the hell out of a ball. He swung the axe, letting it collide with the beast’s leg. It howled in pain, but so did Oliver. 

Cameron was having a hard time holding his son still as the other two men fought the monster. “Stop! Stop, Oliver, please!” 

Charlie pulled the axe out of the monster and back up a few steps, pulling the axe back again, readying his strike. “What should we do?!” 

“We have to kill it, Charlie! It’s the only way to get Oliver back!” 

Charlie nodded to Jacob, tightening his grip on the handle as he backed away, the monster coming towards him again. “Go help Cameron! I’ll take care of it!” 

Jacob didn’t ask questions, taking the gun with him and running back towards the cave, leaving Charlie to fight the Wendigo. He wrapped his arms around Oliver, holding him a little tighter while Cameron tried to soothe him. 

The beast swung at Charlie again, who sidestepped the arm, bringing the axe down on the creature’s limp. It landed with a thump and the beast and Oliver both howled. 

Was he hurting Oliver by killing this thing?

He had to kill it though, it was going to change Oliver into a monster as well if he didn’t kill it. 

The other clawed arm came up and swiped at him as he was pondering. It sent him flying backwards into a tree with a crack. He fell face-first into the snow, gasping for air, but he managed to keep his hold on the axe. 

The Wendigo howled and took four large steps towards him, Charlie was pushing himself back to his feet when it swung at him again. He ducked, rolling under the arm. He swung the axe and hacked at the creature’s leg until it tumbled to the ground, howling and writhing. 

He lifted the axe and brought the blade down, lopping the head from its body. 

Charlie was breathing hard, the cold air and physical exertion getting to him as he dug in his pocket for the lighter. He lit the Zippo on his leg and tossed it on to the body. A howl filled the hollow, but it wasn’t coming from the monster. 

The older boy ran towards the cave where Oliver seemed to be seizing in his father’s arms. “No, no, no!” Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he dropped the axe and ran over to the men. “On his side, get him on his side!” 

Jacob was already rolling Oliver onto his side as Cameron sobbed next to them, he didn’t know what to do and seeing his son like this was making him frantic. 

The smaller boy’s eyes rolled back in his head and his body shook with such force Charlie thought he was going to break something. 

“Oliver, Oliver, please, don’t die-- Don’t die--” Charlie whimpered softly as he helped Jacob hold Oliver while they waited for the seizure to take its course. 

Finally, Oliver’s body stopped shaking. 

His skin was cold. 

His breathing was shallow. 

They stood there, holding their breath for what seemed like forever.

“Char--?” 

Oliver’s voice was soft and weak, but when his eyes opened, they were back to the chocolate brown colour Charlie had always known them to be. 

“Oliver! Oh, thank god, I was so-- I thought you died.” Charlie whispered, moving to gently scoop his boyfriend into his arms. He seemed so tiny and frail. 

“D-Didja kill it?” He whispered and Charlie nodded his head, kissing Oliver’s forehead as he clutched him to his chest. 

“Yeah, baby, yeah, I killed it, you’re safe now. You’re safe.” 

Relief washed over the four of them. 

Around them, the snow died down, the wind stopped howling. 

The fire crackled as the beast burned. 

END OF BOOK ONE


End file.
